Boom Sequel to Hooah
by jago-ji
Summary: 'Explosive' sequel to Hooah: Ranger and Stephanie return to Trenton from Bolivia and try to adjust to their new relationship. Yes, a relationship! Things heat up fast when Ranger realizes he has competition for his Babe's attention.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Most characters belong to JE. I'm just borrowing them for a little hot action. If you see someone you don't recognize, he's mine. I'm not making any money from this, but I am having a blast.

'_Explosive' sequel to Hooah: Ranger and Stephanie return to Trenton from Bolivia and try to adjust to their new relationship. Yes, a relationship! Things heat up fast when Ranger realizes he has competition for his Babe's attention. _

**Chapter 1—Boom**

The deep vibrating beat of the salsa music filled the dance floor impelling the gyrating couples to wilder and more suggestive moves. Stephanie was impressed with her dance partner, Johnny Tango. He could move, really move and he wasn't bad looking either. He held her close, their hips pressed tight together. With one hand at the small of her back and his other clasping her hand, he dipped her back and swept her around in a crescent, then brought her quickly up to his chest.

Her extremely short black dress hugged her every curve. It was so low cut if she had bigger boobs they would've fallen out when Johnny dipped her. He murmured into her ear, "You're so hot, babe. Let's get out of here and go somewhere we can really let loose. My hotel room is only a few blocks from here." She returned his leer with a suggestive smile, "What are we waiting for?"

Inwardly, she cringed at hearing him call her 'babe.' Only one man called her that and this embezzling white-collar scumbag wasn't him. She decided she hated doing 'distraction' duty when Ranger wasn't present. At least then she could pretend she was dressing and dancing sexily for him. She couldn't wait to turn Johnny over to Tank and Chris when she got him outside and then spend the rest of the evening relaxing in Ranger's arms.

Johnny led her off the dance floor, grabbed their coats and escorted her out the club's double doors. The night air outside was crisp with a light breeze blowing. As he helped Stephanie into her coat, a large black man tapped Johnny on the shoulder. He turned and was immediately spun back around and shoved against the wall, his hands cuffed before he could react.

Steph smiled at the big man now escorting her former dance partner to a waiting black SUV, "Thanks, Tank. I'll meet you back at RangeMan in a few. Oh, and Johnny, _don't_ save the next dance for me." The man in cuffs turned to look at her in utter confusion still trying to figure out what just happened. He began sputtering and trying to twist out of Tank's firm grip.

Tank pushed him into the back seat where Chris secured him into a seat belt. Next stop, Trenton Police Department and jail. There he would await extradition back to Chicago for embezzling $12 million from a policemen's widows pension fund.

Stephanie walked over to her black Lexus convertible, her birthday present from Ranger. There was a small white envelope tucked under the windshield wiper. She plucked it off and clicked the convertible's door lock open. Tank leaned out his car window and beckoned to Steph. She was opening the envelope as she walked over to Tank. "Chris and I are stopping by Pino's on our way back, do you want anything? Whatcha got there, Steph?" Tank asked.

Stephanie was trying to read the card and leaned in closer to take advantage of the SUV's interior lights. Inside the card there were a few lines of verse in handwritten script. She read them out loud.

"_Oh blue-eyed Bombshell_

_Notre trés belle,_

_One, two, three_

_You complete us, you see._

_Watching from afar_

_And certain you're the one_

_Burning and exploding a car_

_Can be such loud fun."_

**_B_**_2_

In that instant, there was a muffled _"poomph"_ sound and then a horrendous explosion as her brand new Lexus lifted several feet in the air with flames and debris shooting everywhere. A tire rolled by the front of the SUV. Steph was knocked off her feet by the blast, her short tight dress riding up over her hips.

She watched in seemingly slow motion as Tank jumped out and ran to her. Alarms were sounding from the other cars in the parking lot and people began spilling out of the club, staring in awe as her car continued to burn bright making small popping noises.

The heat that radiated off the flaming Lexus was so intense that she and Tank were sweating. Soon the paint on the SUV would blister. Tank asked her if she was OK and Steph nodded, trying to tug her skirt over her exposed butt. Her long curly brown hair was blown back from her face; she looked a little like the 'Bride of Frankenstein.' Tank scooped her up and ran to the passenger side, placing her gingerly on the front seat.

He climbed back into the driver's seat and drove across the street into the lot of a closed bookstore. Chris had already called 911 and reported into RangeMan. Their cuffed passenger was screaming as if he was the one on fire. Chris casually leaned over and decked the blubbering Casanova; the quiet that ensued was broken only by the crackling flames from the car fire.

Tank and Chris got out and waited for Trenton's finest. The first cops to arrive were Carl Costanza and Big Dog. They met with Tank and then the three of them ran across the street to protect the integrity of the crime scene. Chris leaned against the SUV watching the flames leap higher and higher. Sirens from a fire truck and more police cars could be heard as the emergency vehicles barreled down Hamilton Avenue.

A black SUV and a black Turbo swung into the lot next to Tank's SUV. Three black-clad men tumbled out of the SUV, ran across the street and met up with Tank watching the still burning Lexus. A tall broad-shouldered man with his dark hair pulled back in a leather tie leapt out of the Turbo and ran to the passenger side of the parked SUV. He wrapped his arms around Stephanie, trying to smooth down her hair while whispering words of relief.

When he pulled back to look at her, she handed him the note and rolled her eyes. "Ranger, I'm so sorry about the car. It was a beautiful birthday present while it lasted." Ranger heaved a big sigh and pulled his Babe into his arms once more, telling her, "Querida, it's just a car. Are you sure you're OK, nothing's broken or bruised?" "Just my pride when I landed on my backside with my skirt around my waist," she blushed.

Ranger glanced down at her lap and laid his hands on top of her bare thighs, moving them slowly up under the dress. Steph slapped his hands away, laughing as he leaned over and kissed her. When they broke apart, Steph tapped the card in Ranger's hand and asked, "What do you make of that?"

Ranger flipped open the card in his hand, pursing his lips in disgust. "Looks like you've picked up another stalker, Babe, one that likes pyrotechnics." There was movement in the backseat as Johnny came to, "Boom!" he said quietly, his eyes still unfocused, "Just _'Boom'_ then…fire everywhere." Chris leaned in the car window and grinned at Ranger and Stephanie. "Lover boy got a bit excited when Steph's car blew. I had to calm him down. He's still a little out of it."

Stephanie caught Ranger's eye and told him, "I have no idea who this stalker could be. None of my recent cases have an MO that includes arson or bombs. Maybe when we know more about the type of bomb that was used?" Ranger nodded and kissed Steph again and then walked across the street to inspect the scene and talk to the police and Tank.

Chris shook his head at Steph, "Lester told me about you and your exploding cars, but I thought he was exaggerating. You must get quite a charge out of all that noise and flame?" A look of dismay crossed Steph's face, "No, I hate it. I hate that it seems to always happen to me. I have really bad car Karma." Ranger came back across the street and gave instructions to Chris regarding Johnny and then transferred Stephanie to his Turbo and drove her back to RangeMan.

When they stepped into their apartment on the seventh floor, Steph saw that Ranger had been anticipating her arrival. There was a bottle of red wine open on the counter with two wine glasses next to it. He had prepared a plate of cheeses, crackers and fruit. She smiled when she noticed there was also a small dish of melted chocolate next to the fresh strawberries.

Ranger had been so attentive ever since they returned from that fateful rescue mission in Bolivia. It was hard to believe that was only four months ago. Ranger still had some pain around his ribcage, but otherwise had healed quickly. Neither of them would ever forget what happened, though. As bad as it was, it had brought both of them to the point they were today and for that, they were both grateful.

Their relationship—Steph loved that word—had blossomed. They were openly 'together' and Stephanie had finally moved into Ranger's apartment last month, giving up her place. Rex was comfortably settled into his new location on a portable cart in the kitchen.

Ranger told Steph he wanted her to redecorate the apartment and put her feminine touches on the place. Steph snorted at that thought. She did bring in some family pictures including several framed photographs of Julie and of she and Ranger. She bought a few bright red throw pillows for the sofa and together they had purchased an abstract painting from a gallery they had toured a few weeks ago.

The Merry Men had all agreed they wanted Ranger back in Trenton; it also meant Stephanie would stay. Tank would continue to run the day-to-day operations in Trenton, and Ranger would concentrate more on expanding the business.

Lester seemed to take Steph and Ranger's relationship in stride and went back to flirting and joking and getting on Ranger's nerves. Stephanie was sad that Vince had decided to take a job in Washington D.C., but figured it was for the best. Stephanie and Ranger had settled into a comfortable 'routine' if either of their lives could be called routine.

They had partnered on several bodyguard assignments and distractions, but Ranger was asking Steph to take over more and more of the client negotiations. He saw that she had a way of putting people at ease and she was adept at figuring out just what the client needed even when the client was undecided.

Ranger had had to bite his tongue or turn away several times when Steph got herself into physical entanglements, like the time that hopped-up druggie smacked her in the face with a garbage can lid, sending her sprawling to the ground. Ranger resisted the urge to stomp all over the guy because if it had been Tank or Lester he wouldn't have stepped in. And it was kind of fun watching his Babe dust herself off and leap over the hood of the car to tackle the guy, cuffing him none too gently. She had learned some nice moves and he was proud of her.

And best of all, they spent every night cuddled up together and woke up every morning entangled in each other's arms and legs. Instead of watching her sleep from a chair, Ranger now watched her sleep in his arms. He couldn't remember a time he had been this happy and content.

Ranger had stripped his shirt off and was leaning against the bathroom door as Stephanie took off her torn "distraction' dress. It was a skimpy black sheath that didn't leave much to the imagination. His eyelids lowered to half-mast and his voice dropped a notch or two, "Let me help you with that, Babe." He slid his arms around her and unhooked her Wonderbra, catching her breasts in his palms. He ran his thumbs over her rapidly hardening nipples and she flung her head back moaning sexily.

Ranger shivered as her fingers tickled their way around his bare waist and then smiled ear to ear as her hands slipped beneath his pants' waistband and caressed his firm ass. She murmured, "I think the shower and wine are going to have to wait a while."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Most characters belong to JE. I'm just borrowing them for a little hot action. If you see someone you don't recognize, he's mine. I'm not making any money from this, but I am having a blast.

'_Explosive' sequel to Hooah: Ranger and Stephanie return to Trenton from Bolivia and try to adjust to their new relationship. Yes, a relationship! Things heat up fast when Ranger realizes he has competition for his Babe's attention. _

_End of Chapter 1_

_Ranger shivered as her fingers tickled their way around his bare waist and then smiled ear to ear as her hands slipped beneath his pants' waistband and caressed his firm ass. She murmured, "I think the shower and wine are going to have to wait a while." _

**Chapter 2—Cats and Dogs**

Stephanie's POV

Ranger and Tank were in Ranger's office the next morning when I came down to the fifth floor. "Steph, I was just filling Ranger in on the conference call Chris and I had with the forensics specialist who analyzed the IED that blew up your car last night. It was a fairly simple device. I doubt if tracing the components will lead us to anything useable. There were no security cameras trained on the parking lot. No one noticed anyone around your car, and Chris and I were focused on the club's front door." Tank shrugged in frustration.

I asked, "What's an IED?" Tank clarified, "It stands for 'improvised explosive device' meaning someone took bomb making materials and 'improvised' them to suit a particular need or situation. In this case, the IED attached to your car was a remote controlled bomb that could be detonated by a source such as a cell phone up to fifty yards away." That made sense, I guess.

Ranger was staring at me with his blank face on. I hadn't seen it since we returned from Bolivia. "Babe, I had Zero study the note you received. When he was a ranger, he was trained to read codes and handwriting styles. He isn't certain if the note refers to two individuals or if it's only one guy who talks about himself using the 'royal we' form of speech. His SWAG leans toward more than one person." I frowned and asked another stupid question, "What's SWAG?" Tank grinned, "It means _'scientific wild ass guess'_ in military speak."

I rolled my eyes at both of them. "Ranger, I won't be locked up until this guy or guys are caught." He answered, "Babe, as much as I'd love to do that, I promised you I'd treat you as I would my partner. I don't want to break my promise, but we need to be smart about this. Zero seems to think this '_B-squared'_ character didn't intend to kill you, but he wanted to get your attention in a big way. I want you to start carrying trackers again on your person and in your vehicle until we can catch this stalker. Will you agree to that precaution?"

I loved that he asked my permission. I nodded. "Steph, I need you to say it." I huffed dramatically, "Yes, Ranger, I agree to keep trackers on my body and car, OK?" Ranger just kept staring at me, no expression showing in his face. I knew he was worried and he was probably regretting his promise to me. I actually didn't mind having my whereabouts tracked again. This _B-squared_ guy sounded like a freaking pyromaniac.

I borrowed one of RangeMan's SUVs and stopped by the bonds office. Connie handed me three new skips. I took them back to RangeMan to run searches on them. _'See Ranger, I've learned a thing or two, and do my research before I act impulsively.'_

The first skip, Leo Blumm, would be a pretty easy one. He was a chronic drunk I'd picked up twice before. Hopefully, I could do this one before lunchtime. The second skip was known only as VenCat. She was a prostitute I'd have to track down this afternoon before I could haul her in.

The third FTA (Failure To Appear), David Kent, had been arrested for hauling contraband liquor in a 'dry' county. He ran an independent delivery service. Like the others, he was a no show for his court date. There was no answer at his home phone and no cell phone listed. I'd check in on his home address later this afternoon or evening.

Before I left RangeMan, I gave my planned itinerary and skip info to Tank and made sure my trackers were functioning.

I pulled up in front of Leo's duplex a little after 10 in the morning. Leo should be waking up about now after a full night of drunken carousing. He'd be ready for some coffee. I'd stopped by Dunkin' Donuts and bought a large black coffee and some doughnuts. I'd use the coffee as bait to lure Leo out under his own power to my vehicle. I checked to make sure I had my handcuffs tucked safely in my front pocket.

While holding the coffee and bag of doughnuts, I rapped on the front door. A deep booming bark reverberated through the small house. Leo had obviously got himself a dog, a very large dog by the sound of it. The front curtain moved and a large dog's head appeared at the window about six feet up. Whoa, that was one big mother of a canine.

I heard the back door slam open. Damn, Leo was definitely awake and starting his morning run. I dropped the coffee and ran down the side of the drive. Still holding the bag of doughnuts, I vaulted over the low gate into the backyard and saw Leo trying to hoist himself over the six-foot high fence. He seemed to be caught on a nail or something.

I rattled the pink and orange bag and crooned, "Leo, I've got a half dozen of your favorite doughnuts, plain cake and I threw in a couple of glazed. They're all yours if you come quietly." Leo looked back at me and smiled, but not for the reason I thought. I heard a growl behind me and as I turned, the biggest, meanest looking Great Dane I'd ever seen was exiting a doggie door that encompassed the entire lower half of Leo's backdoor.

Leo spoke up, "Meet my new puppy, Drumstick, named for his favorite part of the bird. I call him Drumm Blumm." If this monster was just a puppy, I'd hate to see him when he was full-grown. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I threw Drumstick a cake doughnut angling it back toward the house. He went for it, but gulped it down whole and swung back looking for more, a large string of drool hanging from his loose jowls. Leo was chuckling from his perch on the fence.

I grabbed three more doughnuts and swung them away from me so they fanned out in a wide arc as they fell. I started running for the fence. I knew I'd never climb it before Drumstick got to me. There was one of those old metal clothesline poles cemented into the ground at the back of the yard. As I ran I dropped the bag and leapt up, grabbing the T portion of the pole and swung the lower half of my body up and over the back fence. _Nadia Comaneci, eat your heart out!_ Unfortunately, there was no padded gymnast's mat waiting for me as my flying body soared over the fence then plummeted to the dirt alley. _Ouch!_

Drumstick's head peered over the fence at me, more drool dripping from his mouth. I scrambled to my feet and leapt up to grab Leo's legs before they disappeared back over the fence into his yard. He screamed bloody murder as I yanked hard trying to dislodge his grip. We fell back together, his not insignificant weight knocking the wind out of me as I hit the dirt once again. Leo was flailing his arms trying to get off me and I was trying to hold on to him while reaching for my cuffs.

He grabbed a trashcan that was leaning against a neighbor's fence and upended it over me. My luck must be improving; the can was empty. I slammed into Leo, twisting his arm to his back and cuffed him. Am I good or what? _Damn Skippy!_ All those hours of training and exercise were really paying off. I dragged an unhappy Leo out to my SUV and headed to the police station. He'd missed his chance for coffee and doughnuts.

I took my body receipt for Leo back to the bonds office and picked Lula up for lunch. She wanted to talk about Tank since they'd started seeing each other again. I wasn't looking forward to listening to her discuss the intimate aspects of their relationship. I had to work with Tank. I didn't want to know what he liked in bed or what was lurking beneath those XXXL cargo pants.

Turned out Lula just wanted to talk about Tank's lousy fashion sense. I listened for an hour to Lula's ranting about black shirts, black slacks, and even black tidy whities. I didn't have much to offer in the way of advice since Ranger wore the same limited color palette, though admittedly, he made 'all black' look good.

After lunch, Lula joined me in my search for VenCat since she still had contacts from her former 'ho days. We cruised Stark Street so Lula could ask some of the hookers if they knew VenCat. LaWanda, a ringer for Lula at age fifty, informed us, "VenCat's a specialty artist. She only dresses in cat suits. She has about a dozen different cat outfits, but her most popular requests are for _Catwoman_ and _Bombalurina_, the red-furred feline from the play, _Cats_. She works out of her 'cat' condo at Sienna Park on East Tabor Street."

The name_ Bombalurina _was too much of a coincidence for me after last night's bombing incident. I called Ranger and asked his advice. I thought he sounded a little too intrigued about VenCat's Catwoman getup. He asked if she was more like Michelle Pfeiffer or Halle Berry. I told him she was more like Eartha Kitt. He was still too interested. I was on my own.

Lula and I drove over to Tabor Street and found VenCat's condo on the third floor. Lula wouldn't stand near me just in case something exploded. I knocked on the door. It was opened by a tall slender seal point Siamese cat who purred in a high singsong voice, "I am Si Am. I am Siameeese if you pleeease." I took a step back at that little performance and then introduced myself, gave her my spiel and offered to drive her downtown to get rescheduled.

Si Am or VenCat or whoever she was, said in a much deeper voice than before, "Sure, my trick didn't show. Might as well get this over with." She scooped up her tail, closed the door behind her and pranced down the hall. Lula and I stared after her, and then ran to catch up.

After checking VenCat into the police station with Connie waiting to post bail for her again, I dropped Lula off at her car and decided to stop by my parent's house for dinner. When I walked up to the front porch, my mother and Grandma Mazur were waiting for me. How do they always know when I'm coming?

"Stephanie, the phone has been ringing off the hook. Did you really blow up that gorgeous new car Ranger gave you?" my mother queried. "_I_ didn't blow it up Mom, but, yes, it is toast." I said. "And speaking of toast, is dinner ready?" It was two minutes to 6:00 p.m. We trooped into the dining room, my dad following us in.

I knew the dinner conversation would revolve around me and not in a good way. I spent the next hour fielding questions about my job, my sanity, marriage, children, and of course, Grandma quizzed me about Ranger's package. _Yeesh!_

After dinner, I decided to check out David Kent, my wayward deliveryman, and drove by his house. It was a rundown ramshackle house. It looked like the big bad wolf could easily blow it down with a single puff. There were no lights on, but there was an old beat up panel van in the driveway.

I went up the walk and knocked on the front door. The door swung inward to blackness. I pulled out my heavy duty Maglite and shone it around the front room. No bodies, no blood, just a living room filled with cheap furniture. Looked like the guy had stacked up boxes for end tables.

I called out, but there was no answer. I thought I could hear snoring coming from a back room, so I banged on the door again and stepped in, calling out a little louder, "Mr. Kent, I'm from the Vincent Plum Bond Agency. You missed your court date." No answer.

I walked farther into the room. Something was dangling from a cord in front of me. It looked like a folded piece of paper taped to a light switch for overhead lighting. I brought the flashlight up and looked closer. Written across the front of the paper was a name—_Stephanie!_

My heart rate skyrocketed. I pulled the paper off, but had to tug a little. As I jerked the paper free I saw a spark ignite that rapidly ran up the cord. I twisted my Maglite up to the ceiling and froze. There was no ceiling, only rafters and the roof looked like it was made of tarpaper.

Attached by duct tape across the rafters were hundreds of large cylinders all pointing up. They reminded me of toy rockets. The now burning cord spread out with hundreds of smaller fuses each attached to one of the deadly looking cylinders.

I pivoted around and raced for the door as the first rocket exploded.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Most characters belong to JE. I'm just borrowing them for a little hot action. If you see someone you don't recognize, he's mine. I'm not making any money from this, but I am having a blast.

'_Explosive' sequel to Hooah: Ranger and Stephanie return to Trenton from Bolivia and try to adjust to their new relationship. Yes, a relationship! Things heat up fast when Ranger realizes he has competition for his Babe's attention. _

_End of Chapter 2_

_I pivoted around and raced for the door as the first rocket exploded. _

**Chapter 3—Fireworks**

I don't remember the next few seconds, but I do remember tripping and sprawling face first in a pile of dead leaves and twigs. I flipped onto my back and watched as the most spectacular fireworks display I'd ever seen exploded in the night sky directly above me.

Fireworks were shooting out of the roof of the house, a dozen at a time. The sky was filled with the colorful explosions of hundreds of commercial quality firecrackers. I listened to the whistle of the missiles soaring up into the sky and then _CRACK_ as the rockets exploded and released their magic in the forms of round bursts, dazzling streamers and cascading fountains of multi-color sparkles. Unfortunately, the house was engulfed in flames.

I pulled myself together and raced back to my vehicle, calling 911 as I ran. When I was safely locked in my car, I called Ranger, but it went to his voice mail. While I waited for the fire department to show, I opened the paper in my hand and read the scrawling verses my stalker had left for me.

_Stephanie,_

_Let's light love's fuse_

_And set the sky on fire,_

_With you as pyro's muse_

_Can't fail to inspire._

_When we make love there will be fireworks_

_On that you can depend,_

_It's one of our little quirks_

_I know you will commend._

_Hope you liked the show_

_Sorry we had to go,_

_Tomorrow's another day_

_Will you come out and play?_

_B__2_

Great! My stalker's a poet. I have my very own never-ending story with stalkers, exploding cars and burning buildings. What is it about me that attracts the loonies? My phone rang—it was Ranger. "Yo," I said, grinning to myself as I imagined his reaction. "Babe, there are fireworks in the sky just south of here about the same location where your tracker says you are." I couldn't help chuckling, "Yep, they're for me. My own personal Fourth of July." _"Babe."_

I read him the note and I could feel his blank face slide into place. A little twinge of fear shot through me as it always did when he shut me out. One of these days he might decide he could no longer take the roller coaster ride that is my life. "Lester and I will be there in ten minutes. Keep the doors locked and your gun ready, Babe." He sounded tired.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

I felt his warm body leave my side, but it was too early for me to get out of bed. I'd join Ranger in the gym a little later. When I finally trudged down the stairs, the guys were still going strong. After stretching a bit, I got on the treadmill and settled into a moderate jog. Lester and Zero were sparring; Tank and Ranger were coaching. The rest of the Merry Men were working with weights or running laps.

As I finished up my run, I noticed Ranger and Chris moving to the mats. They were wearing only their gym shorts and I couldn't help myself. I move closer to watch. All the men had great physiques, but I usually only noticed Ranger.

Tank had hired Chris Anton Anderssen at RangeMan after we got back from Bolivia. He had been part of Juan's South American mercenary team for several years. He was ex-military and had served under Ranger's command for a few years as the explosives specialist. Chris said he was tired of kicking around jungles and third world countries. And he wanted to move to Trenton?

Chris fit right in with the rest of the Merry Men, though he wasn't quite as muscle bound as some of them. He had the smooth muscled physique of a gymnast, the agility of a jaguar, and the looks of a Scandinavian god. Blond, blue-eyed, fair skinned, and in his late twenties. OK, I might drool a little when I see him, but nobody compares to my Ranger.

Watching Ranger and Chris face off, I was enthralled by the striking negative image they made. Ranger was dark in every feature to Chris' light features. They were almost identical in height and weight and had similar body types. As they danced around each other, throwing punches, jabs and kicks, I found myself staring hungrily at muscles that bulged and rippled with every movement each of them made. Sweat was dripping off them, their bodies glistening like well-polished marble.

They were evenly matched in skill level too. Neither one seemed to be able to get the upper hand. It surprised me every time Chris was able to throw Ranger. Not many men could. I was getting turned on despite my efforts to look at them and their workout professionally. They could be 'poster' men for a fitness magazine or Playgirl. I couldn't take much more of this or I would have to dash up to the apartment and abuse the shower massager.

I must have moved or moaned, because Ranger looked up and saw me staring at the two of them. I saw his mouth twitch and then fix into a determined line. His attacks accelerated and in minutes he had thrown Chris four times. The last time he slammed Chris hard onto the mat and pinned him. Tank called an end to the session.

I couldn't take my eyes off Ranger as he sauntered—or more accurately, arrogantly swaggered—over to me, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. I also couldn't disguise the lustful look in my face.

Disregarding his usual practice of no PDAs _[public displays of affection]_ in the gym and control room, Ranger wrapped one arm around my waist and pulled me tight against his chest. He kissed me hard, thrusting his tongue against my lips until I let him in. While Ranger's kisses frequently left me out of breath, this one just about made me swoon.

When I opened my eyes, I saw that Ranger's normally chocolate brown eyes had turned nearly black and he was staring at me like a tiger stalking a nice plump deer. I huskily said, "Ranger, if you keep looking at me like that, I'll fill my shoes right here and now." A puzzled look flashed across his face, then his eyes widened and he gave me a wickedly hungry look. I grabbed his hand and we raced for the stairs.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Later that morning I stopped by the bonds office to turn in my body receipt for VenCat, my skip from yesterday. I was immediately attacked by Lula who wanted to know all about the fireworks show that was the talk of the Burg. "First you get your brand new Lexus blown to kingdom come and then someone puts on a fireworks show just for you. Girl, you got something going on that you ain't sharing with me?"

I glared at her, "You'd better be kidding me, Lula. I've got a lunatic stalker trying to blow me to smithereens, that's what I've got going on." The notes were being kept secret from the public for now, but the entire Burg population seemed to know the two large explosions were meant for me.

Connie motioned me over to her desk. She pointed at a large plant covered with small red tubular flowers and said, "This was delivered about a half an hour ago. The card says it's for you." I looked at the plant, but it appeared harmless. A tag identified it as a Firecracker plant. _Of course, just what all the crazed stalkers were sending their victims nowadays!_

I asked her what the card said and she looked at me with a hurt expression, "That's your personal business. I wouldn't snoop." Then she shot Lula a dirty look. Lula quickly turned her back and pretended to file. I opened the card; it was the same handwritten scrawl as the first two notes.

_Steph, we're inviting_

_You to make our life exciting,_

_You're our Heart's Desire_

_Our love is on fire._

_Accept this little gift_

_Just our attempt, your spirit to lift,_

_It's a remembrance of last night's display_

_Can you find its source today?_

_Please say yes_

_We'll not take less,_

_Let our love be like bombs exploding_

_Cause if you say no, our heart'll be imploding._

_B__2_

"This guy is a lousy poet, but he's got the rhyming thing down to a T. Connie, do you know what shop this plant came from?" I asked. Connie grinned and handed me a piece of paper with an address on it. _Heart's Desire Flower Shop_. I knew it waslocated on Hamilton Avenue about 15 blocks down the street. I shot her a frown and started to speak. She threw up her hands and said, "_I_ didn't open your card, but after it was _already_ opened, I thought you might want the address."

I glared at Lula until she turned around looking a little sheepish. Then her Jersey attitude kicked in, "Come on White Girl, you didn't really expect me _not_ to read the card. It's like a postcard. People are _supposed_ to read 'em." Lula puffed up her chest and pursed her lips. "And who's this 'big B with a little 2' that signed that awful ditty?"

I narrowed my eyes and told her, "Since you want to be up all in my business, then you won't mind coming with me to check out this flower shop." "Hey, I'm allergic to flowers. I break out in hives and sneeze till the cows come home. But I got your back, don't I always?" Lula griped, but she grabbed her purse and stomped out to my vehicle, tugging her hot pink vinyl mini-skirt down a good two inches below her butt cheeks.

Twelve minutes later we were sitting in the parking lot of a funeral parlor across the street from the _Heart's Desire Flower Shop_. We would have been there in five minutes but we'd stopped for a quick doughnut break. The shop had large plate glass windows filled with colorful floral arrangements, cute little vases and stuffed animals. Just your typical Mom & Pop flower shop.

We 'cased' the area looking for suspicious vehicles or people. I drove down the alley behind the shop and then parked back across the street. Everything seemed quiet and normal.

Lula and I crossed Hamilton and entered the front door. It was a very small place and every nook and cranny was filled with flowers, plants and knickknacks. A pleasant looking middle-aged woman greeted us. She had been transferring a bunch of boxed flowers to big plastic buckets stacked in a walk-in cooler at the back of the shop. They must have just been delivered.

I introduced myself and asked her who had ordered the Firecracker plant. She said the order was called in two days ago and the note and payment had been hand dropped through the mail slot when she arrived at work early this morning. Her husband made the delivery. He was still out delivering the morning's orders. I thanked her and turned to leave.

Lula had been admiring an oversized coffee mug with a brown teddy bear dressed in camouflage tucked in it and remarked, "This would be a cute gift for Tank, don't you think?" As she held it out to me, I noticed there were wisps of smoke coming from the stuffed bear.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Most characters belong to JE. I'm just borrowing them for a little hot action. If you see someone you don't recognize, he's mine. I'm not making any money from this, but I am having a blast. This chapter didn't come together like I'd hoped; wish I could blame it on my muse who has been on vacation.

'_Explosive' sequel to Hooah: Ranger and Stephanie return to Trenton from Bolivia and try to adjust to their new relationship. Yes, a relationship! Things heat up fast when Ranger realizes he has competition for his Babe's attention. _

_End of Chapter 3_

_Lula had been admiring an oversized coffee mug with a brown teddy bear dressed in camouflage tucked in it and remarked, "This would be a cute gift for Tank, don't you think?" As she held it out to me, I noticed there were wisps of smoke coming from the stuffed bear. _

**Chapter 4—Boom Boom**

I gingerly lifted the mug from Lula's hand and carefully set it on the counter, then screamed at both of them to get out of the store. The storeowner just looked at me blankly. I yelled, "There's a bomb in the bear!" and pulled her out from behind the counter toward the door. Lula's instinct for self-preservation had kicked in and she hadn't wasted any time. She was already halfway across Hamilton Avenue.

As the storeowner and I stepped off the curb, we heard the first explosion—_Boom!_ Then another one—_Boom!_ and another one, until I lost count. None of them were huge but together they made quite a racket. The front windows had blown out and white smoke was billowing skyward.

Three days, three explosive incidents. My secret admirer wasn't wasting any time, but his idea of courtship was a bit warped, almost childish. I flipped open my phone and called 911 and then Ranger. My heart was already beating normally. I was getting too used to this. Not a good sign.

Ranger answered on the first ring, "Yo, Babe." I paused, trying to think of a clever comeback, but my brain was frozen as I watched smoke pouring out of the shattered windows of the flower shop. There didn't seem to be much actual fire. Hmmmm.

The fire truck pulled up and the firemen started doing their thing. I realized Ranger was still on the phone, shouting at me by now. "Babe, what's going on? I hear sirens. Tell me you're OK. Please, tell me you're OK." He was either angry or a touch worried. I could deal with his anger, but not his worry. "I'm fine, Carlos. Not a scratch on me, the SUV's fine, Lula's fine, _I'm fine_," I tried to reassure him. I could hear him taking a deep breath as he got himself back under control.

"Another note?" That's my man—one, maybe two words. A grunt or a groan or a twitch at the corners of his mouth and he spoke volumes. "Yep, my third love missive," I told him. "He sent a Firecracker plant to me at Vinnie's. While Lula and I were checking out the flower shop it came from, I found a bear bomb. We all got out of the store before it exploded. There were several small explosions after the first one. There's some damage to the shop, but the bombs seemed to be intended to smoke, not burn the place down."

"A bear bomb, Babe?" "Well, a bomb in a teddy bear," I clarified. "I'll have Zero and Chris meet me at the site to see if they can get anything from the note or the bombs. Hang tight, Babe." Ranger was at least saying bye at the end of phone conversations now. That's progress, right?

I walked the storeowner across the street so she could confirm to the firemen there wasn't anyone left inside. The police showed up and we all gave our statements.

Ranger drove up just as we finished. He walked over and pulled me into a tight embrace, not saying a word. He looked into my eyes searching for something. Then he kissed me. Not a light kiss, but not a passionate one either. I could tell he was really worried.

I was afraid he was feeling the same fear for me he had when I was kidnapped and beaten by that gang nearly a year and a half ago. That devastating period when Ranger walked out of my life to protect me, to remove himself from the pain and worry I created in his life. I didn't think I could survive another rejection like that.

This _'B-squared'_ stalker had to be found and stopped soon. He was jeopardizing everything Ranger and I had worked so hard to build over the past four months. I needed ice cream and I needed some time in my thinking position.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Tantalizing smells woke me from my nap…um…deep thinking. I wandered out to the kitchen and found Ranger setting the table while Ella unloaded the covered plates. Ella outdid herself for this elegant meal. Ranger and I started with a glass of red wine paired with crispy cheesy zucchini rounds that I would have sworn were fried, but Ella had said were baked and very health conscious. She even included a spicy tomato dipping sauce. I dipped the baked veggie into the sauce and leaned over to feed Ranger, dribbling a little dip down his chin. Of course, then I had to lick it off and give him a kiss. That earned me one of his oh, so rare smiles!

The entrée was a turkey parmigiana that tasted like it came from the finest restaurant in Italy, but was low in fat and calories. I didn't even mind that there wasn't any pasta. The bread was whole grain, yet so crispy on the outside with a moist and chewy interior. The asparagus spears were roasted and drizzled with a sweet dark glaze. _Yum...I can't believe I could say that about vegetables!_ _I think I'll save this glaze for later tonight. I can think of another yummy spear I'd like to lick that glaze off of_. Ranger started laughing. _Crap! I must have said that out loud._

I moaned my entire way through dinner, wondering why Ranger kept staring at me. I kept dabbing my face with my napkin thinking I had sauce smeared, but no, I was good.

Ella had been trying so hard to please my taste buds and my craving for fats and sugar, but wanted to meet Ranger's demand for healthy food. She was succeeding in spades. Dessert was a fruit sorbet that was creamy without the cream; there was a dark chocolate mint cookie perched on the side. I licked my lips in anticipation. Ranger reached over and took my hand, kissing my palm as he stared into my eyes. "Babe, eating a meal with you is like foreplay." I was getting decidedly warm.

I was so relaxed after dinner that I forgot all about my crazy stalker. I'd hoped Ranger could put it aside for a while as well. This evening felt so normal, so good…so different from being stalked and having to run from exploding bombs.

As we drank another glass of wine, I put on some music and asked Ranger to dance. I got the second smile from him this evening. He took me in his arms and masterfully glided me across the floor, twisting and twirling. The music changed tempo and so did our hip movements. I'd never danced with a man who could move his hips as seductively as Ranger. Our connection while dancing bode well for a closer bonding as we moved the evening into the bedroom.

As much as I loved working with Ranger, playing with Ranger was even better. And tonight I was going to play hardball, so to speak. Well, something was going to be hard and there were balls involved. I just hoped Ranger would take his sweet time getting to first base, then second base, then third, and start the wave now, a triple home run. And that would just be the first inning!

0o0o0o0o0o0o

The next morning Ranger called an all-staff meeting. The various RangeMan specialists reported on their findings and conversations with the police and fire departments regarding my little 'incidents.' The fireworks from the second incident were all commercially produced and commonly available throughout the United States. The bombs that exploded in the flower shop were all small homemade devices, more smoke than fire.

No one was any closer to discovering the identity of my stalker than they were the first day. Ranger was edgy and barking at everyone, even me.

Exhaustive searches had been run on my missing FTA, David Kent. He was 42, self-employed, recently divorced, no kids, and no close family. A few years ago he had checked himself into a rehab clinic for heroin addiction. It seemed he was clean. And he was nowhere to be found. Nothing in his background indicated any knowledge about explosives. His ex-wife described him as a nice guy, but weak when it came to drugs and alcohol.

Ranger began the meeting wrap up. "We have no leads on Steph's stalker and that is not acceptable. We need to dig deeper and harder." From the back of the room, Lester piped up, "That's what _she_ said." I thought Ranger was going to come unglued. He started toward Les, but Tank stood up in his way, 'innocently' shuffling papers. Ranger walked stiffly back to his chair, fists clenching and unclenching. Where was my 'always in control' Ranger?

"This guy is setting off some kind of explosive _everyday_," Ranger continued in a hard voice. "He's just playing games right now, but that'll get old soon and he'll raise the stakes. We need to step up our game plan in anticipation." His eyes cut to me. "There will be at least one of us with Stephanie _at all times_, night and day. All places will be cleared before she enters, including restrooms and her vehicles. Do I make myself clear?" All the men at the table shouted "Hooah."

I stared at Ranger for a minute debating how to respond and saw a burning look of barely suppressed anger in his eyes. I knew it wasn't directed at me, but I still resented being ordered to accept his tight control over my life, even if he was doing it for the right reason.

I nodded and then said "Yes, _Boss_, quite clear." A pained looked shot across his face at my use of the word 'Boss' then he cleared all expression from his face. I was getting angry with this bombing lunatic. He was really starting to disrupt my life, as well as the lives of those around me. My stomach was cramping up. I needed a doughnut or better yet some birthday cake.

My partner for the day was Chris, since he was the one who could most easily ferret out any potential bombs left for me. We didn't leave RangeMan until well after lunch. I made the usual stop by the bonds office to pick up any new skips. Chris went in first and searched all rooms, even Vinnie's office. Connie was flying solo. Lula was taking the day off due to her 'traumatic' event yesterday and Vinnie was off in search of a little afternoon delight.

There was just one new FTA for me to work on. I read the file. Quentin Bartlett was a fifth grade school teacher who hadn't show up for his court date regarding a solicitation charge. According to Connie, he didn't currently have a place of residence. It seemed he bounced around from friend to friend crashing on sofas.

Great! I was going to have to cuff a teacher in front of his students. What a life lesson for a bunch of 10-year olds. At least this skip should be bomb-free, since _B-squared_ didn't seem like the type to put innocent children in harm's way.

I walked out to the SUV and climbed in the passenger side. I was letting Chris drive so he could learn firsthand the gritty streets of Trenton. Chris slid into the driver's seat and queried, "Where to, Steph?" I gave him Quentin's file and after perusing its contents, Chris started the car. Well, he tried to start the car, but it was dead. _Of course_, today couldn't go smooth. Chris got out and looked under the hood, but couldn't find anything wrong. We weren't going anywhere soon.

I called RangeMan to report and Woody told me they had just received a tip that something involving the stalker was going down at a local school and Ranger had dispatched all available men to the location. So I was to sit tight and wait it out.

I was ready to run in and ask Connie if I could borrow her car when I saw a familiar yellow bus come down the street. Chris took matters into his own hands and waved down the old school bus. When the doors whooshed open, Sally Sweet grinned down at us, "Howdy, Stephanie. Howdy, Dude. Haven't seen you in months, Steph. I'm on my way to pick up my kiddies. Why did you flag me down?"

"Thanks for stopping, Sally. We're in desperate need of a lift. Can you take me and my co-worker, Chris, to this address?" I stepped up into the bus and handed Sally the address to the school where Woody said Ranger had gone, and 'coincidentally' was the same school where my FTA worked. My spidey sense was sparking off big time.

Chris was standing so close behind me I could feel his hot breath on my neck. I hadn't given him a chance to 'clear' the bus for me and he looked anxious.

Sally smiled at me and said, "Fuck, girl, that's my regular pick up. Come on in and take a seat." Sally closed the doors, started the bus up and headed off east on Hamilton. Chris was on his cell phone, calling Ranger and Woody with an update on our vehicular situation, especially since we were now in a vehicle without a GPS tracker. Ranger wouldn't be pleased when I showed up to his stakeout in a big yellow bus, but I wasn't about to be left out.

As Sally made a wide left turn onto Olden Avenue a small tape recorder slid out from under his seat. I picked it up and handed it to Sally. He looked puzzled, "Where did that fucking thing come from?" There was a small white card taped to the top of the recorder. It had a name scrawled on it—_Stephanie, play me!_

Chris grabbed the recorder out of my hands and went over it carefully, looking for anything that could explode. He finally shrugged and handed it back to me. I pushed play. The first notes of a hard rock beat began.

Sally startled me, "Fuck, dude! That's my new fucking single. My band just started playing that song at gigs last week." We all listened closely as the first verse came through loud and clear sung by none other than Sally himself.

_Can't stay away_

_Not even a day,_

_Like a moth to a flame_

_Your hot love's to blame._

As the first stanza faded out, a new voice, a younger man's voice, started singing to the same tune—different lyrics.

_Take the Sweet bus to ride_

_And don't let it collide,_

_Get off before State, please don't be late_

_Or Steph, you will fly, high into the sky._

_Hope you enjoy_

_Our attempt to be coy,_

_Can you guess we really like you?_

_We hope you like us, too._

_We offer you our heart_

_It's been shot with Cupid's dart,_

_It's not just a rumor_

_We're Bomber and Boomer._

The tape went silent. Sally was still rocking and rolling to the beat, oblivious to the words or the frightened look on my face. I glanced back at Chris who looked just as confused as I did. Awareness dawned finally in my befuddled brain. I flung the tape recorder to the seat and grabbed Sally's arm, "State Street is just up ahead. Sally, _stop the bus_ _now_ and open the doors."

Sally gave me a puzzled look and said, "But we're only a block or two from the school. Let me turn onto State and we can stop in the fucking school turnaround lane." Panicking, I screamed, "Fuck no, Sally, stop NOW. There's a fucking bomb on the bus and it's going to fucking blow up when we get to State. STOP NOW!" _'Sometimes you have to speak your audience's language if you want to get through to them.' _

I was frantically trying to put my foot on the brake over Sally's large boots. State Street was now less than a hundred feet away. The bus was slowing down, but we weren't going to stop in time.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Most characters belong to JE. I'm just borrowing them for a little hot action. If you see someone you don't recognize, he's mine. I'm not making any money from this, but I am having a blast. Comments help me be a better writer, so tell me what you like or don't like, please.

'_Explosive' sequel to Hooah: Ranger and Stephanie return to Trenton from Bolivia and try to adjust to their new relationship. Yes, a relationship! Things heat up fast when Ranger realizes he has competition for his Babe's attention. _

_End of Chapter 4_

_I was frantically trying to put my foot on the brake over Sally's large boots. State Street was now less than a hundred feet away. The bus was slowing down, but we weren't going to stop in time. _

**Chapter 5—Kaboom**

Chris reached around me and yanked on the bus' door lever. Nothing. He grabbed it with both hands and yanked harder. No movement. Chris looked up at me, desperation showing in his face. I grabbed the lever below Chris' hands and we strained together. The doors slowly creaked open. Thank heaven for old buses. They didn't have the new doors that wouldn't open while the bus was still moving.

Chris yelled at me to jump. We had slowed down considerably, but I looked out the now open door, saw the asphalt flying by and told him he was crazy. Then I looked out the front window and saw the intersection coming up fast.

He yelled, "Jump or die!" I mumbled 'tuck and roll, tuck and roll' _(well, it might have been 'fuck and roll' but the situation called for it)_ and then I dove out the door. Chris had to literally throw Sally off the bus and then he rolled out seconds before the bus entered the intersection.

I heard a familiar 'poomph' and the old yellow bus exploded in every direction. The sound was deafening—_Kaboom!_ Luckily, there were no other cars in the intersection. Pieces of burning bus were raining down on the street and in the lawns of adjacent houses.

I struggled to my feet and limped up the street to where Sally was sprawled. He was glassy eyed and staring at what was left of his precious bus. Flames were shooting up from the front end and there was no longer a roof, just sheared off metal.

Chris ran back to Sally and me, worry written all over his face. He ran his hands up and down my body, feeling for any broken bones in my arms or legs. Normally, I would've decked him for taking such liberties, but I let him finish, knowing Ranger would have his hide if he didn't make sure I was all right. '_Plus, you should see this guy, he's like a Nordic Ranger.'_

Sally and I had quite a case of road rash that burned like hell, but only Sally had suffered any broken bones. His right arm was broken in at least two places. I was limping where I fell hard on my left hip, my clothes were ripped in several embarrassing places and my neat ponytail was now a tangle of knots twisted around my head. Chris looked fresh as a daisy.

People were streaming out of nearby businesses and homes, gawking at the burning bus and scattered debris. Flames were shooting twenty—thirty feet into the sky and it was raining greasy ashes.

It couldn't have been more than two minutes after the bus exploded when Ranger and half of RangeMan appeared on the scene. Ranger looked everywhere for us, but I guess we were screened behind the bus stop shelter. He turned and stared at the burning bus. A primal scream erupted from deep within his chest; "NOOOOOO…" and he ran toward the bus. It took the combined strength of Tank, Lester and Bobby to keep him from climbing up into it. He was screaming my name and struggling against the grip of his three best friends.

Chris noticed the commotion and pulled me into the street. I watched in horror as Ranger nearly freed himself, his arms outstretched toward the still burning bus. I screamed his name, my heart breaking for him, and all four men turned and looked my way. And then the strangest thing happened.

Ranger raced over to me, but before he could sweep me up in his arms, he came to a sudden standstill in front of me. Then he started to laugh. The laughter turned to gut wrenching belly laughs and then he doubled over and fell to the sidewalk laughing uncontrollably. His arms were crossed tightly over his stomach and his laughter reached a hysterical pitch. The look on his face was one of pain, not happiness.

Tank reached down and hauled Ranger to his feet as easily as if he were a sack of potatoes. Tank gave Ranger a rough shake by his shoulders. When that didn't work, Tank backhanded him across the face. He started to hit Ranger again, when Ranger caught Tank's hand in mid strike and said through hiccupping bursts of laughter, "I'm…O…K."

Ranger shuddered a few times and rubbed his face with both hands before finally looking up. I reached out to touch his arm and he grabbed on to me like I was a life preserver. He held me so tight and for so long, my lungs were screaming for oxygen. His whole body was trembling.

I knew it was a reaction to the adrenaline surging through his body, but it was scary all the same. I mean this was Ranger, Batman! I was getting a small dose of what he must have gone through when he thought he might lose me last year. I remembered my hysterical reaction when Edward Scrog shot Ranger in front of me. I knew there was nothing Ranger liked less then losing control, except for losing control in front of others.

When he finally loosened his grip around me, he laid his cheek alongside mine and whispered, "I'm sorry, Stephanie." He used my name. I whispered back, "I love you, Carlos. No apology needed." We stood close together for a few more moments, each calming the other.

Ranger stepped back and felt my arms and then my legs, assuring himself I hadn't broken anything. He hissed as he examined my raw exposed skin, courtesy of Trenton's asphalt streets. He flashed me a grin as he dipped his fingers into the ripped hole in the backside of my jeans and grabbed my bare ass. Everything was right in my world again. Ranger was back in control.

When we were finally aware of our surroundings again, we noticed the fire department and paramedics had arrived. Sally was lying on a portable gurney, his long legs dangling off the end. He was being attended to by a cute EMT. He looked happy. No one could get close to the bus even though the fire was now out. The metal was still too hot to touch. Chris was talking to the police with Tank and Lester listening.

Ranger walked me over to the bus stop and sat me down on the bench. He sat next to me, picked up my hand and gently said, "Report." I smiled and loved him all the more for trying so hard to keep his promise to treat me like 'one of his men' during work hours.

I started telling Ranger about my FTA, the stalled SUV, Sally coming by, and the tape recorder…Damn. The tape recorder was still on the bus, probably burned to a crisp. I gave Chris kudos for getting Sally and I off the bus in the nick of time. I tried to remember the words of the verses. I told him the last line was 'We're Bomber and Boomer,' which I assumed referred to B2.

Ranger was silent for a minute, and then asked, "Could 'Bomber' be referring to you, your nickname?" I said, "I don't think so, but I can't explain why. The first clue referred to me as 'Bombshell' and '_our_ pretty' not '_my_ pretty' and then the note said '1, 2, 3—you complete _us_'. I think he was referring to two of them and me makes three."

He looked intently at me and then asked me what I would suggest we do next to catch '_Bomber and Boomer_.' I wasn't expecting his question, but was flattered by his interest in my opinion. I'd been doing a lot of thinking about it and had some ideas.

I started, "I don't know for certain whether we are dealing with one or two guys, but I think he/they are fairly young, probably in their twenties or no older than early thirties. If there are two, I would look for best friends or even brothers. I wonder how much technical knowledge and ability these bombs and fireworks actually require to construct, place and execute. With the Internet, there is so much information available this guy or guys could be self-taught. I would consider that possibility in addition to military or law enforcement." Ranger nodded.

"And I was wondering, am I really this lucky to have escaped four potentially fatal attacks or is there a way the explosions were set off immediately after I was out of range? Like this bus explosion…would the bus have automatically exploded when it reached State even if we were all still on it or was it set off by remote control after someone watched us jump off? The explosions seem more like entertainment with a thrill, not really meant to kill." _Jeez_, _now I'm_ _rhyming._

"Another thing, Ranger. There seems to be a lot of 'coincidences' happening with these explosive encounters. The night of the distraction I was getting into my Lexus until Tank called me over. What would've happened if he hadn't called me over when he did?" Ranger raised an eyebrow.

"The tip you received about the school and the fact that my FTA works there—can you get any leads from that? And how did he/they know that Sally would drive by the bonds office just when we needed a ride, AND that we would find and play the tape recorder? I feel like we're all being masterfully manipulated, somehow." Ranger looked impressed. No one had ever had such faith in my professional capabilities.

Ranger shot me his 200-watt smile, "Proud of you, Babe! You raised several good points and potential leads to check out. You're a natural at figuring out connections and subtle clues others miss. It's one of the first things that attracted me to you."

He went from professional to passionate in the blink of an eye. He drew me into a tender embrace and we sat there for several minutes just holding each other. He gave me a soft kiss then leaned his forehead against mine, "Babe, if I'd lost you today it would've destroyed me. We just found each other again. _I will not lose you_. I promise, we will find and neutralize these guys. And we will do it _together_. Are you with me, Babe?" I crushed my lips to his, feeling so loved and respected by this most amazing man. _How did I ever get this lucky?_

Ranger kissed the scraped palms of my hands, pulled me to my feet and we joined the rest of the Merry Men as they talked to the police.

After a while, I broke away and went over to see how Sally was doing. He was really bummed about the bus and worried about how 'all the little kiddies' were going to get home. I assured him the police and the school would take care of everything. Then I mentioned it to Lester and he jogged back to the school to talk to the head administrator. He returned in minutes with one of RangeMan's SUVs.

Ranger and Bobby came over to the ambulance as Sally was being loaded in and then the three of us left in the SUV. Ranger told me I could give my statement to the police later this afternoon. He wanted to get me back to RangeMan where Bobby could treat my road rash and I could clean up and rest a bit. After the day I just had I deserved a little pampering.

I guess I'd let my FTA, Quentin, have another day of freedom. I didn't think I could handle any more excitement today. Stick a fork in me. I was done, well done.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Most characters belong to JE. I'm just borrowing them for a little hot action. If you see someone you don't recognize, he's mine. I'm not making any money from this, but I am having a blast. Comments help me be a better writer, so tell me what you like or don't like, please.

'_Explosive' sequel to Hooah: Ranger and Stephanie return to Trenton from Bolivia and try to adjust to their new relationship. Yes, a relationship! Things heat up fast when Ranger realizes he has competition for his Babe's attention. _

_End of Chapter 5_

_I guess I'd let my FTA, Quentin, have another day of freedom. I didn't think I could handle any more excitement today. Stick a fork in me. I was done, well done._

**Chapter 6—Chris and Con**

Ranger was lying on his side perched on his elbow just gazing at me when I woke up. I should be used to it, but I felt self-conscious this morning. "Morning, Babe." Ranger greeted me with a kiss. "How do you feel?" I sat up and groaned. I was stiff and sore and my poor scraped up skin still hurt like hell. Ranger handed me two Advil and a glass of orange juice.

I limped into the bathroom and took care of business. When I turned on the shower, a naked Ranger joined me. I wasn't up for our usual shower activities, but it was still nice to fondle and be fondled. He gently soaped my 'hamburger' skinned areas and kissed all my boo boos. I made him kiss some of them twice.

He patted me dry with fluffy warm towels and then helped me bandage my skinned areas to keep them from oozing onto my clothes. He was surprisingly tender and meticulous and determined to care for me himself.

Ranger hadn't reacted well yesterday when Bobby was treating my road rash, since most of my scraped areas were on my upper thighs, butt and hip area. Poor Bobby would probably have to lay low for a few days. After Ranger's reaction yesterday, I did everything I could to reassure him the wounds were superficial and that I was fine.

We planned out our strategy for the day as we ate breakfast—Ranger with his whole wheat bagel and smoked salmon and me with waffles and maple syrup. I loved living at RangeMan and I adored Ella. She made sure there was always something I liked to eat, both for our meals in the apartment and for lunch in the fifth floor kitchen. The guys loved it too. Ranger just tolerated the relaxed menu knowing he was fighting a losing battle. Hey, I can compromise—the waffles were whole wheat and the maple syrup was organic!

We both agreed Ranger and I would be attached at the hip for the next few days. I could think of worse ways to spend my days. We'd found we actually worked well as partners, as long as we remembered to allow for each other's eccentricities. Ranger didn't order me around…_much_, and I informed him of my actions before I did them…_most of the time_.

Ranger had quickly recovered from his emotional display. He'd turned all his energy into finding my stalker. He could be a little scary when he was this focused. There was a look of fear on most of the guys' faces when they had to go in his office to give Ranger yet another negative report. He read and reread every report and forensics analysis. He ordered all but a skeleton crew to work on the stalker case. Every time I went down to five, there was a flurry of activity and I knew there were several teams scouring the city talking to anyone who might be a possible source of information.

There had been a lot of discussion whether I should stay inside at RangeMan today or go about my normal routine. I fought for the latter, but was overruled by nearly everyone. Fine, my hip still hurt and Bobby said my weeping wounds would scab over in a day or two.

The guys were busy running down wisps of leads from the bomb fragments and searching for any similar MOs from past incidents. One bit of news chilled me to the bone. The bomb from the bus was programmed to explode as it crossed into the intersection with the traffic signal as the trigger mechanism; it was not remote controlled. If we hadn't jumped, the three of us would've died a horrible death.

I called Connie, Lula and Mary Lou, and then I returned my mother's thirty-seven calls. All the conversations were frustrating. I didn't want to tell them how close a call yesterday was and I had no answers for anybody. I called Sally to see how he was doing. He was on a high. The cute EMT he'd met yesterday was a big fan of his and she was staying over to 'take care of him.' She even said she'd share some of her sexier dresses with him for his next gig.

Late afternoon, I finally took a break from doing background searches on my past FTAs and distraction 'clients' to see if any of them could be my stalker. I wandered down to the lounge/TV room. Chris was off-duty and lay sprawled on the couch watching a soccer game. He pulled his legs up and I gingerly lowered myself to the end cushion heaving a big sigh. "Slow day, Steph? Not enough excitement around here for you?" Chris chuckled.

I grimaced, "The ringing in my ears from the last explosion has finally let up. I jump at every little noise. My rear end looks like hamburger. I don't think I can take much more of this, Chris." He slipped his arm around my shoulder and kissed the top of my head. "I'm sorry you're having such a hard time. I thought with your history as the 'Bombshell Bounty Hunter,' this would be old hat to you by now."

"I hate loud noises and I'm not fond of smelling like smoke." I sighed again and looked over at him, "What made _you_ want to become an explosives specialist, Chris?" A dark look came over his face and he pulled away from me. "Chris, did I say something wrong?"

He gave me a weak smile and blew out a sigh. "It's a long story." I nodded and gave him an encouraging look. "The short version is that my brother died in a freak accident when we were in high school." He had such pain in his voice and I knew there was much more to the story. I put my hand on his arm. "I'm so sorry, Chris. What kind of accident?" I asked.

He was silent for a while, deep in thought. I scooted closer and squeezed his arm. He put his hand over mine and squeezed back, then looked into my eyes. He leaned toward me and I jerked back. _For a second I thought he was going to kiss me, but he wouldn't, would he? _

To cover my embarrassment, I jumped up and said, "I'm gonna grab a beer, want one?" He nodded. I got up and took two longnecks from the refrigerator. I handed him his beer and sat down in the chair across from the couch.

We took a couple of pulls on our beers. Finally Chris started talking. "My brother and I were at a Fourth of July picnic sponsored by our church's youth group. We were usually inseparable, but we had been fighting over Susie Holm, a cute girl we both liked. She looked a little like you—curly brown hair and blue, blue eyes. When they started serving the food, I lost track of Con. His full name was Constant, he hated it." Chris took a couple of deep breaths and another long swig of beer.

"Con was trying to get Susie's attention by popping off cherry bombs. A bunch of kids including Susie were at one of the picnic tables under the big double ramada. There were several spare propane tanks for the grills located next to the ramada. Con was too close to the tanks when he threw a cherry bomb down on the concrete pad. One of the tanks must have had a leak and exploded, then they all exploded." A gasp escaped my lips before I could clamp it down.

"Con was blown several feet into the air. I raced over to him and cradled him in my arms." Chris's eyes closed at the painful memory. "He died a few minutes later. It was the worst day of my life."

The last words were spoken in a hushed voice, filled with grief. I moved over to the couch and put my arms around him. I could feel his tears soak my shoulder as his body shook with emotion. I sat rocking him quietly for several minutes.

Chris finally pulled away and wiped his face with his hand. He gave me a wan smile and said, "I haven't cried since it happened. Thank you for listening and for being such a sympathetic shoulder to cry on. You're a really good friend, Stephanie." I waved away his kind words.

He continued, "To answer your original question, I made up my mind that very day I would learn everything I could about things that explode, so it would never happen to someone close to me ever again. It was Con's dream to join the Rangers, so I took that on as my goal as well. Con still lives as long as I'm breathing."

I was touched by his story and his very obvious genuine emotion and love for his brother. I'd found, as I got to know each of the Merry Men, that they all had their own stories that drove them to this kind of professional dedication and devotion. While a lot of people looked at these big intimidating men as thugs, I was honored they considered me their friend.

Later that night, I related Chris' story about his brother's death to Ranger. He was surprised. He said Chris had never talked about his family. I couldn't help wondering; these guys were willing to die for each other and knew virtually nothing about one another.

As we got ready to turn in for the night, I realized how keyed up I was. I had spent the day running computer searches and had no outlet for releasing my pent up tension. My backside was still sore and raw, limiting my options for exercise. I said goodnight to Rex and dropped in a grape and some hamster crunchies. Rex didn't even twitch in his soup can. He had no trouble sleeping. Maybe I needed a giant wheel in the apartment.

I stood at the kitchen counter and poured myself a glass of red wine hoping it would relax me enough to fall asleep. Ranger came out from his shower wearing only a towel around his narrow hips. The white towel highlighted his rich mocha latte skin. A spark of desire triggered a flash of heat that shot straight through me, soaking my panties. At least my imagination was getting some exercise. Ranger gave me a questioning look, "Babe, you don't normally drink this late at night."

He took a sip of my wine and as I reached back for the glass, I bumped his arm spilling some wine on him. I watched mesmerized as the dribble of red traced a path down the middle of his bare chest, over his taut abs and into the thin silky black line that disappeared underneath the towel. The wine soaked into the towel's edge.

My eyes were glued to that pink stain as I licked my lips. "_Babe_." Ranger's eyes darkened and he stepped closer to me. I placed my hands on his arms, squeezing his biceps, and ran my tongue down his chest, licking clean any traces of the spilled wine. My mouth moved lower and lower, licking and kissing his warm skin and rippling muscles. While I sucked at the pink stain and dipped my tongue underneath the edge of the cloth, the towel slid off his hips. I looked up at him with a devilish grin and continued with kisses and licks down his hard flat stomach.

I took the glass from his hand and poured a little more wine over his belly, tracing its path with my mouth. Ranger groaned in pleasure as I filled my mouth with something other than red wine.

When I'd had my fill, Ranger swept me up in his arms, grabbed what was left of the wine and moved swiftly into the bedroom. I guess it was my turn for a tongue lashing. I've heard red wine is good for you, something about anti-aging properties. That's Ranger, always thinking healthy.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Most characters belong to JE. I'm just borrowing them for a little hot action. If you see someone you don't recognize, he's mine. I'm not making any money from this, but I am having a blast. This a short chapter, but Lula and Grandma Mazur wanted some air time.

'_Explosive' sequel to Hooah: Ranger and Stephanie return to Trenton from Bolivia and try to adjust to their new relationship. Yes, a relationship! Things heat up fast when Ranger realizes he has competition for his Babe's attention. _

_End of Chapter 6_

_When I'd had my fill, Ranger swept me up in his arms, grabbed what was left of the wine and moved swiftly into the bedroom. I guess it was my turn for a tongue lashing. I've heard red wine is good for you, something about anti-aging properties. That's Ranger, always thinking healthy. _

**Chapter 7—My Lucky Day**

Ranger and I went down to five early the next morning. Ranger spent over an hour in a closed door meeting with Tank, Bobby and Lester. This wasn't uncommon. After all, they were partners in a multi-state security company. Then Ranger sent Lester out of town on an assignment he wouldn't tell me about. He just said it was a lead he hoped wouldn't turn into anything, which I thought was odd.

The day was pretty much a repeat of the day before. More follow-up of leads, meetings with the police, and reviewing forensics reports on each of the incidents. Ranger had had a couple of his men trying to track down my two missing FTAs. The teacher, Quentin Bartlett, hadn't been at school for three days. The school said he had called in sick with the flu. None of his 'couch' friends had seen or heard from him.

There was one break in the case. My FTA who lived in the 'fireworks' house, David Kent, turned up as a John Doe in the morgue in Newark. His fingerprints had finally made it through the New Jersey criminal database. He had been convicted of heroin possession ten years ago and had spent eighteen months in prison. The coroner determined he had died from a heroin overdose three days before Connie gave me his file.

This piqued my spidey sense though, because Kent's ex-wife swore he was off drugs and had been for several years. However, he obviously wasn't my stalker.

That evening Ranger and I went to my parent's for dinner. I missed my mom's pot roast and pineapple upside down cake. For once, nothing too bad happened. No candles knocked over and tablecloths set on fire, no guns fired, and no big fight between my father and Grandma Mazur. Grandma was too busy sidling up to Ranger trying to fondle his ass. I had to keep my hand there just to protect my interests.

My mother harangued me about blowing up half of Trenton, 'living in sin' and asked if we were 'safe' because she couldn't take it if I got pregnant out of wedlock. When that last subject came up, even my father stopped eating and looked at me. Just what I wanted to talk about during dinner with my parents—my sex life with or without a ring or condom. Ranger stayed cool, calm and collected throughout dinner, while I yelled and waved my arms in time to my mother's outbursts.

It was a typical evening at my parent's. Actually, it was kind of nice to get my mind off my stalker and do something normal and familiar, however annoying. The ride back to RangeMan was a quiet one. Ranger was in his 'zone' and I was asleep as soon as the car left the driveway. I don't remember anything after that, so Ranger must have carried me up to our apartment and put me to bed.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

I was awakened by soft kisses tickling my belly. With my eyes still closed, I murmured, "Oh Les, that feels soooo good." I was rewarded for my attempt at humor by a sharp nip to my sore hip. I giggled and reached for my lover. He covered my body with his and growled in my ear, "Playing with fire, Babe."

Ranger's ardent kisses and thrusting tongue, and subsequent deep thrusting into my nether regions smothered any response I might have made. What a way to start the day!

After our shower, Ranger went down to five and I finished my hair and makeup and threw on jeans and a lightweight cotton sweater the lilac-blue color of tanzanite. After two days of hanging tight at RangeMan, I was finally getting back to fieldwork. Not only would Ranger be my Siamese twin, we would be shadowed by at least two RangeMan teams at all times. All teams were connected to each other and to RangeMan via wireless earphones. There were more GPS trackers on my body and car than I could count.

We didn't leave RangeMan until after lunch, though. Ranger explained it away saying the teams' prep time took longer than anticipated. These are the guys who leave on months-long missions 'in the wind' on ten minutes notice? However, he, Tank and Bobby were on a conference call all during lunch. Lester was still out of town.

Before we arrived at the bonds office, our point team of Hal, Zero and Ram had already searched it for explosives. Ranger and I walked into the office to an indignant Lula. "I just got frisked by one of your randy men in black. I haven't been patted down like that since I was a 'ho. It was insulting. At least you could've let my Tank fondle me instead of that grinning Hal dude. And he had the nerve to giggle while he was doing it. He owes me the going rate for a fondle job." Lula turned to a cowering but grinning Hal and gave him her best death Burg glare.

Ranger tried to maintain his blank face, but Lula was a force to be reckoned with. Tank, Bobby and Chris were in the vehicle following us and had been listening to Lula's tirade. Tank sidled up to Lula and whispered in her ear. She got a big smile on her face and they went over to the couch with their arms around each other. Still grinning, Hal slipped out the front door.

Ranger and I turned to Connie to see what she had for us today. One of the FTA files held a real peach of a case, two flashers named Kermit Eldridge and Junior Turley. With names like that, the poor guys didn't stand a chance in hell of a normal life.

Junior, the Burg's resident flasher, was a flasher by avocation, but his territory had been invaded by Kermit. A fight had ensued and both were arrested for flash fighting or would that be 'cock fighting'? The charges were actually indecent exposure and simple assault. Both men felt they were in the right and refused to appear in court. Why do I always get the naked old men?

As she handed me the second file, Connie pleaded with us to bring in the next FTA by midnight as his grace period was over then. The guy's name was Robert Gray and he had been arrested for fraud, mainly writing bad checks to the tune of $10,000.

The bond enforcement agent assigned to his case had come down with recurring episodes of food poisoning this past week and he had been unable to bring Gray in. Gray lived a few miles north of Trenton and worked nights at an engineering company near Annandale, a small town located about one hour north of Trenton.

"Babe, come out to the car when you and Connie have finished. I'll call the control room and have them run background searches on the three skips." Mobilizing all his men to focus on my stalker was costing RangeMan a small fortune, but Ranger didn't seem fazed. He was determined to eradicate this threat from my life.

As I was walking out the door, my phone rang. "Steph, you aren't going to believe what's happening in our front yard right now," my Grandma Mazur said excitedly. "I've got porch-side seats to my own nudie show. There're two naked men rolling around in the snapdragons we planted last month. Ain't that a pip! One is our regular flasher, Junior Turley, but I don't recognize the other perv. He's giving Junior a run for his money for the nude wrestling title and he's sure got him beat for the biggest package."

I shouted at Grandma to keep both naked men there even if she had to sit on them. Then I raced for the car. Today might be my lucky day!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Most characters belong to JE. I'm just borrowing them for a little hot action. If you see someone you don't recognize, he's mine. I'm not making any money from this, but I am having a blast.

'_Explosive' sequel to Hooah: Ranger and Stephanie return to Trenton from Bolivia and try to adjust to their new relationship. Yes, a relationship! Things heat up fast when Ranger realizes he has competition for his Babe's attention. _

_End of Chapter 7_

_I shouted at Grandma to keep both naked men there even if she had to sit on them. Then I raced for the car. Today might be my lucky day! _

**Chapter 8—I've Got A Bad Feeling About This**

I was grinning ear to ear as I tumbled into the passenger side of our SUV and commanded, "Ranger, step on it, double time, to my parents' house." Ranger slowly lowered his mirrored sunglasses a bit and stared at me. I continued excitedly, "Come on, let's go. Hurry up or they'll get away."

"Babe?" Ranger wasn't starting the car. He didn't even have the key in his hand. I took a deep breath and explained, "Grandma just called and told me there were two naked men fighting in the front yard. It's our two flashers, our FTAs. She's going to keep them there until we arrive. Now, can we go?"

Ranger's mouth twitched up a little and he spoke in his earphone to the other two teams, "Got that?" There were hesitant but affirmative replies all around and the convoy finally departed the bonds office. _Jeez!_

As we pulled up in front of my parents' house, I could hear laughter coming from the guys in the other two SUVs. Grandma and three of her bingo cronies had their elbows linked together in a circle around two scared naked men.

The men were scared because they were surrounded by four leering seventy-plus year old _naked_ women. All six naked bodies were covered in mud and grass stains. Grandma had several snapdragon blossoms tangled in her tight white curls. The men had some darker marks on their backsides that looked suspiciously like bruises. The sight of six naked septuagenarians even got a snort from Ranger or maybe it was just his version of _eeuwww_. It was like watching a bad car crash. You didn't want to look, but you couldn't help yourself.

I jumped out of the vehicle, expecting the Merry Men to back me up, but they weren't getting out. Even Ranger was sitting tight. I glared at Ranger and he ordered Hal, Zero and Ram to assist me. I noticed the three of them at the back of their SUV and when they came toward me, they were all wearing long black rubber gloves.

I rolled my eyes and turned my attention to my grandmother, her friends and the two naked flashers. Trying hard not to look directly at any of them, I said, "Thank you for detaining these two gentlemen, Grandma." I nodded to the other three very naked, very old women. I made a mental note to always wear a supportive bra and to keep my exercises up. Boy, oh boy, what age and gravity can do to a body. The Merry Men were standing as far back from our little group as they could and were trying to look anywhere but at loose, wrinkled skin, drooping body parts and knobby bones.

"Grandma, I have to ask, why are you four naked?" Grandma's mouth curved into a crooked grin, "We thought we'd fight fire with fire. Plus, how often do women our age get to roll around with a good-looking naked man with a fully operational package like that?" She leered at Kermit, who cringed. His package wasn't 'operating' at the moment.

"Well, unless you 'girls' want to be arrested for indecent exposure along with Mr. Eldridge and Mr. Turley, I'd suggest you go into the house and put some clothes on," I informed them. Grandma stuck her chin out and huffed, "We're not indecent, we're expressing ourselves. It's our First Amendment right to free speech." The other three women flung back their shoulders, jiggling body parts better not jiggled, and stood up tall and proud revealing much more than I wanted to see. I thought they were going to start singing the national anthem.

With his hands guarding his privates, Kermit spoke up, "Ma'am, you get me out of here, and I'll go along to the station quietly. Then I want to file assault charges on these crazy old bats. I'm just a flasher, I don't do body contact. They jumped on us and wrestled us to the ground. Then they _groped_ me, I think one of them bit me on my butt, and they made several lewd suggestive remarks. I'm going to have bruises in places I've never had them before." Junior wasn't saying anything. He eyes were glazed over and he looked dazed.

I looked Kermit in the eye_, 'where else was safe to look?'_ and said, "_You're_ running around my family's neighborhood naked in front of little children and old ladies, and _you_ want to file charges? You may want to rethink that, buddy." Grandma made a grab for his ass and he screeched, "OK, OK, just keep her away from me. Get me outta here now." Kermit turned to the Merry Men and Hal gave him a sympathetic look, but didn't come any closer.

At that moment, my mother pulled into the driveway, nearly hitting Ranger's car. She came barreling across the lawn yelling at first me and then Grandma. "I was waiting in line at Giovichinni's for a quarter pound of olive loaf and Mrs. Lipinski asked me if I was running a nudist colony at our house."

"Stephanie, how can you let your grandmother stand in our yard in front of God and the neighbors wearing only her birthday suit? How can I show my face outside ever again? Mother, get in the house this instant and take your three under-dressed friends with you."

Mom continued her rant, "I'm assuming you're here for these two, um, gentlemen, Stephanie? Please do something about their…um…their lack of clothes. Mrs. Hopkins' daughter, Mary, doesn't get involved with naked men." My mother heaved a deep sigh and gave me her best Burg look of disappointment. I mimicked her sigh and asked, "Mother, could you bring some of Dad's old clothes out and then I'll be happy to take these two gentlemen to the police station."

Always Burg proper, my mother waved to Ranger still sitting in his car and then she herded the four naked women up the steps and into the house. Hal and Ram moved toward the two flashers. They were so intimidating the smaller men shriveled in more ways than one.

After we got our two FTAs dressed in some of my father's old clothes, we carted the two men down to the police station and picked up the body receipts. Finally, something went right and nothing got blown up. Maybe today _was_ going to be my lucky day.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Next stop, Robert Gray, bad check writer. I could tell Ranger and the Merry Men were anxious about the next skip. While we were still at the police station, Ranger had sent the point team ahead to check out Gray's residence. We followed about thirty minutes later.

We arrived at 6 p.m. in front of a two-story red brick building in Pennington, a small borough north of Trenton. Gray was renting a two-bedroom apartment above Marco's Pizza. Hal reported that Gray wasn't home, but had been there this morning. The guys thoroughly checked out the apartment, but didn't find anything to connect him to our stalker.

Ranger called Gray's employer, Exxon Research and Engineering Company, where Gray worked in the Information Technology Department. Ranger was informed that Gray was scheduled to start work at 7 p.m. We grabbed a quick dinner and were on our way to Annandale.

Our three black SUVs pulled into the company's parking lot at 7:15 p.m. We parked within sight of the front door. Zero spotted Gray's Honda Accord parked in the rear employee lot. He checked it for explosives, but found none.

Ranger gave the Merry Men their instructions. Some signal I couldn't read was passed between Ranger and Bobby. The men disappeared into the shadows of the building and positioned themselves at the various building exits, with one watching Gray's vehicle.

As I started to head toward the building, Ranger wrapped his hand around my wrist. "Babe, I've got a bad feeling about this." I stopped him, "Ranger, I need to see this through. Don't ask me to wait idly by while you risk your life for me. You said we would do this together."

Ranger dropped his head and blew out some air, "Babe, I'd give anything if I could take you away to someplace safe, but I don't know where that is. I know the only way to end this is to force this guy out into the open. And that means you have to be available to him. It's killing me inside, but only you can lure him out." Ranger pulled me to him and held me tight, his face buried in my hair.

He continued, "This Gray guy may be innocent, but I believe our stalker will use this opportunity somehow. So _please_, Stephanie, I'm begging you, stay glued to my side tonight. Don't act impulsively. There are still too many unknowns."

I swallowed and blew out a huge breath of air. Ranger had me panicked to my inner core. I decided denial was the best way to get through this. I smiled a little too brightly, "So, what's the plan?" I got a headshake and "_Babe_" as a response.

Hal jogged over and informed us that Gray was in the building. It looked like there was a full shift of employees working tonight. Ranger said, "So far, our stalker hasn't hurt anyone during these incidents. Let's hope he doesn't change his MO tonight. I say we go in and do what we came here to do. Ready, Babe?" I could only nod.

Ranger and I entered the front door of the building, leaving Hal posted just outside but within eyesight of our vehicles. We asked the receptionist if we could see Robert Gray. We were given 'Visitor" badges and asked to follow a security guard to the IT department. The guard led us down several hallways before stopping in front of Gray's cubicle. Ranger was in super alert mode, his eyes scanning everywhere at once.

Gray looked just like his picture in the file. I introduced myself, "Mr. Gray, I'm Stephanie Plum from the Vincent Plum Bail Bonds Company. You missed your court date and I'm here to escort you back to Trenton so you can reschedule."

Robert Gray smiled at me and said, "I've been expecting you. I didn't go to my court date because I didn't have the money to repay what I took. Sitting in prison wasn't an option for me, but I have the money now, so let's get this over with." He came out of his cubicle and asked, "How do we do this?"

I told him, "I'll have to put handcuffs on you and then drive you back to Trenton." He looked from Ranger to me and said, "Are handcuffs necessary?" Ranger shifted slightly and Gray immediately stuck his hands out.

As I put the cuffs on him, Gray said, "Oh, I forgot to give you the note. It's in my breast pocket. The guy said to give it to the woman who would be coming for me."

Ranger shot me a warning look. He reached into Gray's breast pocket and removed a small white envelope. My name was written on the front. A tendril of fear shot through me and I staggered back against an office partition. I think the luck just ran out of my lucky day.

Ranger asked, "The guy who gave you this note…describe him." Gray told him, "He was tall, blond, and muscular. Early this morning, he gave me the money to pay off what I'd stolen. All I had to do was hand over that note."

Without any warning a searing bright light exploded in front of us and simultaneously a deafening explosion sounded. I was temporarily blind and deaf. I reached out for Ranger but caught only empty air. Within a second or two my vision started to return, then all the lights in the building went out. It was pitch black.

Before I could react, I felt the familiar zap and intense pain of a stun gun to my upper shoulder. My muscles spasmed and I lost consciousness.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Most characters belong to JE. I'm just borrowing them for a little hot action. If you see someone you don't recognize, he's mine. I'm not making any money from this, but I am having a blast.

'_Explosive' sequel to Hooah: Ranger and Stephanie return to Trenton from Bolivia and try to adjust to their new relationship. Yes, a relationship! Things heat up fast when Ranger realizes he has competition for his Babe's attention. _

_End of Chapter 8_

_Before I could react, I felt the familiar zap and intense pain of a stun gun to my upper shoulder. My muscles spasmed and I lost consciousness. _

**Chapter 9—Starry Starry Night**

Ranger's POV

I came to lying on the floor in utter blackness. I knew I'd been stunned and just before that, someone had set off a stun grenade. Stephanie's name tore from my throat, but, _Dios_, I didn't hear her respond. I shook my head and shoulders trying to shake off the stun effects.

I could hear people panicking throughout the building, trying to feel their way around. Pulling out my MAGlite I started searching the immediate area for Steph.

Through my earphones, my men were asking me to report. I told them what little I knew and said Steph was missing. I asked each man to sound off. Bobby and Chris were the only ones who didn't report in. I ordered Tank to find Bobby and for everyone else to stop any persons or vehicles leaving the vicinity.

Hal immediately reported that a dark colored sedan had just sped out of the east parking lot heading northwest. I told Hal to go after the car and stop it safely if at all possible. If he couldn't stop it, then he was to keep it in sight. I instructed my men to turn off their earphones and use their cell phones. I told Ram and Zero to meet me at the vehicles.

The identity of the B2 stalker was confirmed now in my mind and it wasn't good. Fear for my Babe threatened to overwhelm me; I channeled it into controlled fury.

All of a sudden the building's emergency lights flared up. Gray grabbed my arm with his shackled hands, "What the hell happened," he said. "There was an explosion or something and then everything went dark."

I didn't have time for this. I shook him off and sprinted down the hall toward the front door. I yelled back at him, "You're on your own. I'd suggest you turn yourself in." I left him standing in the hall waving his cuffed hands.

I crashed through the front door, running full tilt for the vehicles. Tank was rounding the far end of the building carrying Bobby slumped over his shoulders. Ram and Zero were pacing next to the remaining two SUVs.

Bobby was unconscious but breathing. I doused him with a bottle of water and he came to, groggy but coherent. "Sorry, Ranger. You're suspicions were right on," was all Bobby said to me as he wiped the water dripping from his face and felt the lump swelling on the back of his head.

My cell phone rang. It was Hal. "Sorry, Boss. He was long gone. I couldn't find him." I told him to get back here double time. _Fuck._ Two strikes out. The phone rang again. I put it on speaker, "Report, Santos."

Lester's disembodied voice came through loud and clear, "You were right, Ranger." I answered heatedly, "Yeah, we found that out the hard way. He's got Stephanie. What did you learn?"

Les continued, "Like I told you at noon today, Chris has no family still living except a grandmother. He had an identical twin named Constant. They were practically joined at the hip. They were arrested once for exploding an outhouse, but in these rural parts of Minnesota, that seems to be a rite of passage for boys. Chris' twin, Con, died in a freak explosion when they were sixteen." I shook my head, my anger building, "Santos, we know all this."

"Ranger, I finally got in to see Chris' grandmother this afternoon. She suffers from Alzheimer's so it's been a slow frustrating process to get her to remember what we needed to know."

"As kids, she said Chris and Con were obsessed with fireworks, anything that exploded, made loud noises and flamed. It was a game to them and they were always in competition to see who could set off the biggest loudest explosions. It got them into trouble many times. Chris liked to build the devices and Con liked to set them off. Their father gave them the nicknames Bomber and Boomer. The boys referred to themselves as B-squared."

"His grandmother had doubts about Con's accident. There was some talk within the family that Chris might have rigged the propane tank to blow, not to kill but to outdo Con in an attempt to impress a girl they both liked. But Con got in the way of the blast and died."

"His grandmother also said Chris suffered from survivor's guilt and even spiraled into a deep depression for a few months. Maybe it was just plain guilt for causing his twin's death. She told me he was always saying he would make it up to Con by living the life Con would have wanted. That's about all I could get from her."

Lester added a final comment, "This all fits in. Chris started quizzing me about Steph when we were still in Bolivia. I could tell he was infatuated with her. When he joined RangeMan, I didn't notice anything more, so I let it slide. Hell, we're all a little in love with Stephanie. It never occurred to me to say anything."

I'd hoped I was wrong about Chris, but this confirmed my worst fears. "Santos, come on home."

Tank looked at me, nodding his head, "That night Steph's car blew up, after we secured the skip, Chris was the one who suggested we go for pizza and to ask Steph if she wanted us to bring anything back for her. He wanted her away from her car." Hal pulled up and joined us. Tank filled him in on Les' call.

I had no idea where Chris might take Steph. Then I remembered the note Gray gave me and pulled it out. I read it aloud.

"_Stephanie, the heat of our love _

_Burns as hot as the stars above,_

_We are meant to be, you see_

_Like dynamite, nitro and TNT,_

_Like the twinkling stars at Voorhees_

_We are each other's destinies._

_Don't fight your fate_

_Please come to us by eight_

_Pass through the front gate._

_Walk the solar system path_

_And behold love's wrath._

_Like the constellation Phoenix, he will burn._

_Shed your old lives, loves and turn_

_To a life that is true,_

_I owe Con you_

_As one, we will rise anew._

_Steph, come to us fast_

_We'll get rid of your past_

_We'll be together at last,_

_Tonight is the night_

_We make it right._

_B__2_

I snarled, "He's upped the stakes. Play time's over. I don't think he planned on taking Steph at Exxon. He knew we suspected him, so he went to Plan B. I had Bobby watching him, but Chris was prepared and got the jump on him. So, what's his next move?"

Tank said, "He may have Steph, but he still wants you, Ranger. According to his note, he has to get rid of you—_her past_—so he and Stephanie can _rise anew_. It says, '_he will burn'_—that's you. I think he wants one last big bang to impress her."

I glanced at my watch, "It's 7:45. Ideas on his location?" The guys were studying the note going over each verse. "What's Voorhees?" Ram asked.

Hal said excitedly, "I just saw a road sign to Voorhees State Park about three miles down the highway." Zero chimed in, "There's an observatory on the park. Both the park and observatory are pretty much closed weekdays during the winter months." In answer to everyone's stares, Zero explained, "I go camping and fishing a lot."

I asked Zero, "Do you know the layout of this observatory or what the solar system path is?" Zero said, "There's a locked gate to the road that leads up to the observatory. Beyond the telescopes, there's a nature trail that winds through the woods. The trail has interpretive signs that mark out the distances between the planets in our solar system." Not much to go on.

I gave my men their mission instructions, "Be prepared for anything. He may have rigged the telescopes to blow or maybe the signs along the trail. Watch for trip wires and pressure plates. He used a stun grenade in the office, so remember your training and expect them as well as tear gas, smoke and sting grenades. He wants me dead, so definitely expect deadly force. Don't bunch up and stay away from me. Remember, no matter what goes down, your goal, besides getting yourself out of this alive, is to rescue Stephanie." A resounding echo of 'Hooah' came from all of my team.

Tank quipped, "We're dealing with a man who likes explosives. They say you can never hear the bullet with your name on it. I say, never worry about the bullet with your name on it. Instead, worry about shrapnel addressed to 'occupant'." That got some grim smiles from the younger men.

I called RangeMan and filled them in. I asked Woody to see if there was a back way into the observatory property. He was able to send an image of a satellite map of the area to my phone. It looked like the observatory was on top of the mountain in a heavily wooded area and only had one road in.

I called in two more backup teams with heavy weapons and more night gear, but it would take them over an hour to get here. We were on our own. I evened out our teams, moving Tank into my vehicle, Hal with Bobby and Zero with Ram.

We readied our gear. Good thing we always kept the SUVs stocked with a wide range of equipment, including weapons, crowd control devices, gas masks and night vision goggles. I noticed the new flak vests and thigh protectors. Tank told me he had ordered them when the company developed the technology to deflect Level 5 ammunition. They had been delivered yesterday and he immediately stocked the SUVs with them, just in case. Too bad there were no explosives. I knew Chris would have them in spades and he wouldn't be afraid to use them.

We left the parking lot, driving at top speed. I pushed the SUV as fast it would go. I pushed my brain even harder, trying to plan for all contingencies. My mind started to wander to Stephanie and what she might be going through. I hit the turnoff to Voorhees State Park going way too fast and spun out. Tank glared at me. The delay was enough for the other vehicles to catch up. I clamped down on my emotions—_focus on the goal_.

We raced up the mountain. There were lots of houses at the bottom, but as we sped up the narrow winding road there were fewer and fewer. It was pitch black. We arrived at the locked gate. Tank jumped out with bolt cutters.

We turned out our lights and continued up the road to the observatory parking lot. We strapped on our gear and searched the immediate area. Everything was dark and quiet. No sign of anyone. Chris had to have heard us coming. Where the hell was he? And where was Steph?

Zero and Ram found a dark sedan parked at the back of the observatory. The car's back door was wide open. There was nothing of interest in the car. At least there was no blood. Zero disabled it. The observatory was locked up tight, no sign of tampering on the doors. There were no windows. My best guess was that Chris was waiting for us somewhere along the trail. Was Steph with him or did he have her stashed someplace?

Like a pack of wolves, we spread out and started the hunt.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Most characters belong to JE. I'm just borrowing them for a little hot action. If you see someone you don't recognize, he's mine. I'm not making any money from this, but I am having a blast.

'_Explosive' sequel to Hooah: Ranger and Stephanie return to Trenton from Bolivia and try to adjust to their new relationship. Yes, a relationship! Things heat up fast when Ranger realizes he has competition for his Babe's attention. _

_End of Chapter 9_

_Like a pack of wolves, we spread out and started the hunt. _

**Chapter 10—Damsel in Distress**

Stephanie's POV

My head hurt. My arms tingled. _Damn_, my hands were tightly bound, and my ankles too. _Think, Steph_. I was cuffing Gray and…_bright flash_?

_Why can't I remember? Where am I? It's still nighttime and I'm in a moving car_. I tried to sit up, but the car braked suddenly and I tumbled off the back seat to the floor. _Ouch!_ We were heading uphill now on a winding road.

Gray had a note…a note from my stalker. Ranger took it. Ranger…where was he? Why did he let me get nabbed? Steph, don't go there. Ranger's OK, he probably just got stunned too. He'll come after me; it'll be all right. It's always all right. This time won't be any different. _Come on, deep breaths._ Gray said something about the guy who gave him the note. Big guy, blond. _Wait, we're stopping._

The driver got out, but came right back and drove a few feet and stopped again. I tried to climb back onto the seat, but the driver got back in and we started moving. A few minutes later the car hit a bump, drove a bit and then stopped. The engine was turned off.

The back door opened and someone reached for me. I tried to kick him with my bound feet, but he just laughed and hauled me out of the car. He stood me up leaning against the car, his hands holding my shoulders. The flex-cuffs were really tight and were cutting into my wrists and ankles. I shook my hair out of my face. _Oh my God…Chris!_

"You look surprised to see me, Stephanie. I assure you Ranger's not surprised. He forced me to push up my timetable." My mind was whirling. It couldn't be Chris. He was my friend. He was a ranger, and he served under Ranger. He saved me from the exploding bus. This was all a game, a sick terrifying game. And he had me now. Where was Ranger? _Steph, stop that_. Figure a way to get yourself out of this. Talk to him, stall him. "What the hell, Chris? Is this some sick prank you ex-Rangers play on each other?" I yelled.

"This is no prank, Blues Eyes. This is deadly serious. It all comes down to tonight. When we leave here, it will be just the two of us, together, for the rest of our lives." Chris lifted my chin and we stared at each other.

He looked sane, not like a deranged bomber, whatever they looked like. He smiled then leaned in and kissed me. Ugh! I bit him, I bit him hard. "Damn, Stephanie. What did you do that for? Don't tell me you're angry at me for stunning you?" Chris wiped the blood from his mouth. I was furious. I screamed as loud as I could.

Chris just laughed and grabbed a pack and a jacket from the side of the building next to us. He dipped his shoulder and slung me over his back. Then he started jogging into the woods. I felt each step he took, his shoulder digging into my queasy stomach. If I screamed anymore, I'd start dry heaving. My head was really pounding now.

Thank heaven, Chris finally stopped. _Jeez_, now he was climbing a rope ladder up a huge tree. _Shit!_ My head smashed into a tree branch. "Sorry, Steph, we're just about there." Chris climbed a little more, then hauled us onto a small platform tucked into a densely branched oak tree. He set me down against the trunk and velcroed me with a strap securing me tight. Great, both my hands and feet were secured with flex-cuffs and now my body was lashed to a tree twenty feet above the ground.

"Chris, slow down. Let's talk about this. OK?" "Steph, I have a lot to do before Ranger arrives and this evening hasn't gone the way I'd expected. You were supposed to come up here with Ranger, not with me. I even had this great plan to snatch you out of his arms by bungee jumping down and grabbing you. Of course, that would be after the stun grenades disoriented everyone."

I struggled against the restraints. "Ranger will come for me, and his men will be with him. You can't expect to get out of here, Chris. You can't win." He just grinned at me. "Don't underestimate me. I've been planning this for months, Stephanie. I like Ranger. I like his men. But this has been a long time coming. I won't let anyone stand in my way of keeping my promise."

"Promise to whom?" I asked, watching Chris unload a few things from his pack. "To my brother, Con. I promised him a _happily ever after_ with a blue-eyed, curly-haired brunette. That's you, doll face." Chris grinned up at me while he fiddled with what looked like a detonator with wires and an antennae poking out the top.

"Chris, I hate to mention the obvious, but…your brother's dead. How can we have a_ happily ever after_…Ohhhh, you're going to kill me so I can join him in heaven?" "Don't be silly, Blue Eyes. I promised Con I would live my life as he would've lived his. _You and I_ are going to live the _happily ever after_."

I knew I shouldn't say this, but I couldn't help myself. "Chris, I hate to mention _another_ obvious fact, but _you know_ I'm with Ranger. I'm in love with him." From the depths of the pack, he removed an assault rifle, a series of large cartridges and…_oh fuck_, grenades. Adrenaline had been surging through me since I got stunned, but my body took another huge jolt of the stuff.

"That looks like lethal firepower. Chris, you can't be serious? You can't be planning to kill everyone!" Chris hefted one of the grenades and then loaded it onto the rifle. "This baby will tear through any protection RangeMan has. I'll only target Ranger, but the rest of his men better not get in my way." He pushed a wad of 'clay' into the tree trunk next to my hip and attached a small box next to it. I strained to look down at it. _Double Fuck!_ The timer was set at five minutes.

"Chris, no, don't do this. Ranger's your friend, your brother in arms. You wouldn't kill one brother just to keep a promise to another one, would you?" Chris stopped for a minute and looked at me. "Steph, I'm sorry. There's no other way. Ranger won't stop looking for us. I have to stop him first. I know it'll be hard at first, but you'll grow to love me. I'm a lovable guy."

He grinned at me and chucked my chin, like it was any other day and we were just sitting around RangeMan, not perched in a tree with him waiting to kill Ranger and our friends. With that said, he pulled out a roll of duct tape and taped my mouth shut. I bet a lot of people have wanted to do that.

Chris jerked his head up and peered through the branches. Quickly, he put on the jacket and loaded the pockets with gear from the pack. Chris pulled a pair of night vision goggles down over his face and picked up the loaded rifle. I struggled, but couldn't move an inch. I tried to scream, but the tape held tight. Screaming only made my headache worse as the sound reverberated around in my head.

I couldn't hear a thing, except maybe my heart threatening to burst out of my chest. There had to be some way I could warn Ranger. I wasn't coming up with anything. _Crap!_ I was back to being the damsel in distress waiting for her knight in shining armor to rescue her. And now the damsel was going to get her knight blown to smithereens. _Crappity, Crap, Crap!_ I should have listened to my mother. I should have quit my job when Joe wanted me to. Then Ranger would be safe from me and my crazed stalkers. _When I get out of this…who am I kidding?_

Chris tensed up and then several things happened _all at once_. One, the back of my neck tingled. Two, I slammed the back of my head into the tree pounding backward three times as hard as I could. It was the only part of me I could move. The pain and dizziness nearly knocked me out. Three, Chris took aim and fired a grenade from his rifle. He dropped the goggles to his chest.

Then Chris flicked a switch on the detonator and the forest lit up with flashes of bright light and explosions. He looked _so_ _smug_…_he was enjoying this!_ He caught himself, wiping the smirk from his face as he turned to me and whispered, "Sorry Steph, but the worst is over. I didn't get 'em all, but Ranger's _dead_." He stroked my cheek before he yanked off the Velcro strap holding me against the tree and slung me over his shoulder.

Chris snapped himself into a harness that had been resting against the tree, and then wrapped his arm around my legs. He reached over pushing a button on the box against the tree. I arched my head up where it dangled down Chris' back and watched as the timer clicked over from 5:00 to 4:59. Then Chris stepped off the platform into empty air. With my mouth still taped I couldn't even get the satisfaction of screaming in terror. But I could cry…cry for love lost.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Most characters belong to JE. I'm just borrowing them for a little hot action. If you see someone you don't recognize, he's mine. I'm not making any money from this, but I am having a blast.

'_Explosive' sequel to Hooah: Ranger and Stephanie return to Trenton from Bolivia and try to adjust to their new relationship. Yes, a relationship! Things heat up fast when Ranger realizes he has competition for his Babe's attention. _

_End of Chapter 10_

_Chris snapped himself into a harness that had been resting against the tree, and then wrapped his arm around my legs. He reached over pushing a button on the box against the tree. I arched my head up where it dangled down Chris' back and watched as the timer clicked over from 5:00 to 4:59. Then Chris stepped off the platform into empty air. With my mouth still taped I couldn't even get the satisfaction of screaming in terror. But I could cry…cry for love lost. _

**Chapter 11—**_**Never Worry About The Bullet With Your Name On It. Instead, Worry About Shrapnel Addressed To Occupant.**_

Ranger's POV

I watched my men fan out on either side of me studying the terrain for ambush sites and telltale signs of tampering and explosives placement. If it had been hotter and more humid, you'd think we were in a South American jungle. I never thought I'd be fighting this kind of guerilla warfare in New Jersey, and definitely not against one of my own men.

I wanted to kick myself for waiting until I'd had proof that Chris was Steph's stalker, but I knew regret was a waste of time. Like hanging myself with my own noose…_regrets are_ _mental suicide_. If I'd told the rest of my men or Steph about my suspicions, and then I was wrong about Chris, I would've ruined an innocent man.

Now I was going to have to kill him. I didn't think he would leave me much choice. As a soldier, Chris was good. I was better. The goal was to get Steph free before the need for any fatal action happened. I knew if he were cornered, he would take them both out before surrendering. I would die before I let that happen.

I chose to walk down the middle of the trail. No point in hiding. Chris knew we were coming. Best to get this over with as soon as possible. Ram and Zero were well off the trail and keeping just a little ahead of me. Tank and Bobby were running point in a wide arc well ahead of us. Hal was guarding our rear. The objective was to surround Chris and flush him out if he hadn't made his move by then.

I looked to my left as Ram's hand came up and pointed to a spot on a tree about eight feet up. To my right, Zero repeated the signal. Chris had obviously rigged the trees along the trail with explosives, obviously not motion sensitive so they were probably remote controlled. This was a densely wooded area so avoiding all trees was impossible, but I saw both men give them as wide a berth a possible as they moved forward.

I continued walking slowly down the path…a Ranger's version of a Sunday stroll. The back of my neck started to itch. Steph was close by; she was alive.

I tensed. I knew it was coming, I just didn't know from what direction. I strained to detect any disturbance, any clue…there…ahead to my right…a faint thud, then two more. I dove forward and to my left, tucking my head just as the air exploded around me. The blast slammed me into the trunk of a nearby tree. Pain seared through my legs. All around me, the woods lit up with a dozen more explosions.

I struggled to my feet, but collapsed as my legs gave out under me. I quickly looked down and felt around my body. Lots of shrapnel imbedded in the vest, but nothing had penetrated to the skin. I checked my legs; there was lots of blood, but no arterial damage. I would live.

Note to self: big bonus to Tank for ordering the new flak vests and thigh protectors. Only my lower legs took on shrapnel. The damage would have been fatal without the new vests. Same result if I hadn't moved when I did.

I jerked my head up. That sound…so familiar. Like fishing line zinging out from the reel under the pull of a big fish. Tank and Bobby came pounding down the trail. I pulled myself up again, trying to stay clear-headed. Seeing the amount of blood on my legs, Bobby started to pull my pant leg up. I impatiently brushed him away.

We whipped around to see Hal racing down the trail toward us. He had been following me down the trail and managed to avoid any of the explosions. As he caught up to us, Ram and Zero appeared from opposite sides of the forest.

Both men had been near explosions and had been temporarily blinded and rendered deaf, but the new vests had stopped the shrapnel. Zero was bleeding from a couple of head wounds and his arms had taken on some shrapnel. He pointed to a large piece of metal imbedded in his vest directly over his heart and said, "It was addressed to _Occupant_." Zero and Tank grinned and bumped fists. If Ram was hurt, he wasn't complaining, but I noticed dozens of holes in his flak vest and he had wrapped a piece of his shirt around his forehead.

I told them the grenade that hit me was fired from a rifle. I pointed to our right and tried to walk. Tank steadied me as I hobbled over to the tree where I thought the grenade had been fired. It was quite a ways off the trail. Bobby looked up and saw a platform. He started climbing the tree. Zero called out, "Watch for booby traps."

A few seconds later Bobby dropped a rope ladder down. I immediately started up, hand over hand. Don't need legs for climbing a rope. When I got to the top, I saw Bobby working frantically over something on the tree trunk. I hauled myself up and saw the hunk of C-4 and the timer—0:08!

I reached around Bobby and yanked the explosive with its timer off the tree and threw it through a small opening in the branches. We both ducked.

The concussive force knocked me off the platform. As I fell backwards, Bobby caught my arm halting my plunge below. With his help I regained the platform. "Maybe _now_ you'll get that explosives training I've been badgering you about," I hissed. My men were shouting up at us. "_SNAFU_, clear," I hollered down. From below, Tank muttered loudly, "That _BAMF_ doesn't know when to quit." I wasn't sure if he was talking about Chris or me.

_[SNAFU: Situation Normal—All Fucked Up; BAMF: Bad Ass Mother Fucker; FIDO: Fuck It! Drive On!]_

Bobby pointed to the zip line that was anchored to the tree and stretched downhill to the north. "What now, Boss?" he asked. "_FIDO! _Tell Tank to call Woody," I ordered as I yanked my belt off, looped it around the line and kicked off. I heard Bobby call down to Tank with our situation and instructions and then I felt the line dip as he followed me.

We couldn't be far behind them. Chris had the extra burden of dealing with an uncooperative Steph. I smiled inside. _It was one of her strongest suits_. As I glided through the air hanging tight to my belt, I tried to visualize the satellite image Woody had sent earlier. I remembered a cleared linear corridor—a transmission line—running east to west through the forest about 300 feet north of the observatory. Chris probably had a 4WD vehicle stashed at the end of this zip line; that's what I would do.

_Damn_. If he got a head start, we'd never catch up. _Babe, please find a way to delay him even just for a minute_. I prepared myself for a bad tumble at the end of this line. My legs were too damaged for a graceful dismount.

It was dark and my night vision goggles had slipped around my neck. I knew the end was coming, but I couldn't see the landing site. I felt the ground rushing up and released my hold. I tucked into a roll and hoped for the best. Pain shot through my legs as I crashed into a thicket of small trees. The rest of me wasn't doing too good either.

Bobby hit the ground running behind me. The line was still humming. My men were coming right behind us. Bobby quickly searched the heavily wooded area finding the path Chris had taken. He came back handing me a long sturdy branch. I tossed it; a crutch would only slow me down.

One by one, the guys dropped off the zip line and moved over to us. I told them about the transmission corridor. Without discussion, we started making our way north through the dense undergrowth.

I pushed on, ignoring the pain, but was hard pressed to keep up with the others. I was letting Steph down and it was killing me.

When I got to the transmission corridor, only my men were there. No Chris, no Steph. I called out, "Report." Tank stepped closer and replied, "There are fresh tracks from a quad heading west. I talked to both the back up teams and Woody had directed them to the transmission line. They just entered the corridor and are converging on our location from each end of the line."

I whipped out my cell and called the office. "Woody, you still picking up Stephanie? She's moving west along the corridor? Don't lose her. If her trajectory deviates, call. And Woody, report our situation to the Highway Patrol."

Tank's phone vibrated. "The team coming from the west reports they're now chasing a quad back toward us. They took a grenade but are still functioning. Shots were fired." I barked, "Tell them to cease fire. They may hit Stephanie." My phone went off. Woody reported Steph's tracker indicated she had reversed direction and was now heading due east back toward us.

I instructed the rest of the team, "Fan out across the line and stay visible. I'll stay hidden; let's hope he thinks he killed me. Assume Chris has prepared for a suicide situation. Our trigger for action is whether he uses a deadman's switch or a simple detonator. If Chris were a sane man, I'd guess detonator; quads in this rough terrain are too unpredictable for a deadman."

Tank stared at me, "You think Chris is on that _deathmobile_ with explosives, a deadman switch and Steph?" I nodded. "If he's using a detonator I'll take him out. If it's a deadman…_let him leave with Steph_." There were loud murmurs of dissent. "Any better ideas?" I demanded, anger raising my voice.

The team spread out across the cleared line. I positioned myself against a large tree trunk and readied my weapon_. _Before my mind could lapse into fear for Stephanie, l let my need for revenge fuel my rage. _Focus on the goal…_

_A/N: Babes, I apologize for the abrupt ending to the previous Chapter 10. I was so excited to get the chapter posted and since I knew the 'truth' I forgot my readers didn't and might take Chris' announcement that Ranger was dead at face value—he is a psycho, remember. Well, I guess he gets that from me. '__The insane, on occasion, are not without their charms.' __My sincere apologies for any undue heart stoppage, upset tummies or troubled sleep this may have caused. I hope I redeemed myself in this chapter. One more to go…_


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Most characters belong to JE. I'm just borrowing them for a little hot action. If you see someone you don't recognize, he's mine. I'm not making any money from this, but I am having a blast. **This is the final chapter. Hope y'all have enjoyed the ride.**

'_Explosive' sequel to Hooah: Ranger and Stephanie return to Trenton from Bolivia and try to adjust to their new relationship. Yes, a relationship! Things heat up fast when Ranger realizes he has competition for his Babe's attention. _

_End of Chapter 11_

_The team spread out across the cleared line. I positioned myself against a large tree trunk and readied my weapon. Before my mind could lapse into fear for Stephanie, l let my need for revenge fuel my rage. Focus on the goal…_

**Chapter 12—Bulgari and Cuban God**

Stephanie's POV

_I was flying!_ It would be exhilarating if it were under different circumstances. All I could think about was Ranger. _He couldn't be…I would know_. And it wasn't just because I lived in _Denial Land_.

If he were really…_gone_…I felt my heart collapsing inside me. This was surreal. I was zipping through the air on the back of the killer who murdered the man I loved. As the night air rushed past me, all emotion drained out of me…all emotion except the rage that was building deep within my soul.

I didn't know if any of the guys would continue to come after me. I guess it really didn't matter. I was going to stop Chris myself or die trying. Everything had become crystal clear.

I could feel Chris tense up under me and lift his legs. We must be coming to the end of the line. Of course, he landed perfectly, even with me squirming and jerking trying to unbalance him. At least one side of the tape across my mouth partially came loose.

We were still in the woods. Chris started walking downhill with me tossed over his shoulder. For the first time in my life I wished I were fat. It would at least slow him down some. He stopped when we came to a cleared area. He set me down on my butt and walked over to a dense thicket and started pulling branches out.

My legs and arms were aching from being cuffed tightly together for so long. After a few minutes of clearing brush, Chris backed out one of those little off-road vehicles that people use to ride through sand dunes and mud bogs.

I jumped as a loud explosion ripped through the forest back the way we'd come. My heart sank. Someone must have triggered another trap Chris had left. _Who else was dead?_ Despair threatened to overwhelm me as I tried to hold on to my rage. Chris' sudden smile made it easy.

Chris fiddled with his jacket and moved some objects around in the pockets. As he picked me up again he said, "We're free to start our life together now, Stephanie. I hope you like Canada. I've got a little cabin in the woods that will be perfect for us, quiet and no neighbors. Just the right setting for a honeymoon." He kissed my forehead and groped my ass as he told me his plans for 'us.' He started to squeeze my breasts while kissing my neck. _Ugh!_

I struggled but had no leverage, no force behind any of my movements, except my head, which was already pounding with the worst headache of the century. As I struggled, Chris brought his head up and said, "You must be getting eager for me, Blue Eyes." He dipped his head to continue sucking on my neck and I head butted him as hard as I could and then dropped to the ground. I raised my bound feet and kicked him in the nuts while he held his bloody nose. He groaned and bent over, but recovered quickly.

"Stephanie, why do you keep fighting me? We are meant to be together, and it's time you realize it. You're mine and I'm all yours, Blue Eyes. Get used to it." He smiled and hefted me up like a rag doll draping me over both his shoulders and behind his neck like one would a shawl. Grabbing the handlebars, he swung his leg over and straddled the vehicle.

Chris started the vehicle up and headed down the open area under a power line. I was getting real tired of being lugged around like a sack of potatoes. It was one thing to be manhandled by a lover for the short distance to the bed, but I'd been carted around on Chris' shoulder through a building, down a wooded trail, up a rope ladder, down a zip line, through dense brush and now on a recreational vehicle.

Unfortunately, there was the promise of sex at the end of this manhandling too, but this would be torturous rape. Trussed up like I was, I felt so helpless. If there were some way I could reach his pockets, I'd grab a grenade and blow us both up. I'd have my revenge and at this point, anything was better than the alternative.

We must have ridden for at least ten minutes when I saw lights from an oncoming vehicle. It couldn't be any of the Merry Men, could it? They couldn't have got down the mountain so fast, plus how would they know where we were? Wait, I still had a tracker on me. Oh my god, maybe I could survive this after all. Just so I survive long enough to avenge Ranger.

As we got closer, Chris pulled a grenade out and lobbed it at the SUV. I tried to bump his arm and jerk my body off his shoulders, but he was too fast and too strong. The SUV stopped as the grenade exploded about fifteen feet in front of it. At least I deflected his throw a little. The car's occupants returned fire. Chris made a sharp turn nearly tipping us over and then sped back the way we'd come.

I struggled and jerked against Chris' body trying to crash us or at least slow us down. Chris reached up and slapped me on the side of my head until I stopped. The SUV continued to follow, but the guys didn't shoot anymore or try to close the distance.

After a while, Chris started to slow down. I looked up and saw five dark shapes spread out across the clearing in front of us. I doubted it was black bears standing on their hind legs, so I guessed it was the Merry Men. I felt a thrill run through me because it meant all the guys had survived Chris' traps and there would be more booted feet to kick Chris' butt to hell.

Chris came to a stop about forty feet from the line of big angry men. Someone played a spotlight on the front of us. The SUV pulled up in back of Chris leaving about twenty feet between us. Chris raised his hand holding a blinking black box, his thumb holding down a red button. He stood up on the vehicle and slowly pulled back the sides of his jacket.

I stared down at the inside of his jacket lined with row after row of bundles that looked like modeling clay with wires running through them. Explosives of some sort, I was sure. _Crap,_ _I was the human wrap to a human bomb. _

The line of men started moving off to the side toward the trees. They were going to let him go. I screamed through the loosened piece of tape, "_NO! NO! Shoot!_ End this now, no matter what. He needs to pay for killing Ranger." I struggled violently, but Chris held me firm.

I heard Tank's deep voice yell out, "Chris, man, settle down. We'll let you leave, just don't do anything rash." Chris answered back, "Why would you just let me leave?" Tank replied, "If it means saving Steph's life, we'll let you go."

I sobbed, "Tank, don't do this. I want this over with now. It's OK. I'm ready. Don't let me leave here with him." I kicked my legs and jerked my body as hard as I could, but Chris was strong and clamped me tightly around his shoulders and upper body.

Tank called out to me, "Steph, stop fighting him and let him take you away for now_. Live to fight another day_. Please, Bombshell, Ranger would come back from Hell to kick my ass if I let you get blown up."

Chris told Tank, "The guys in the SUV, tell them to slowly get out and join you so I can see all of you." Tank called out and three guys exited the SUV. They walked swiftly passed us and joined the men in front of us. I couldn't see their faces.

Tank kept talking to Chris. I'd never heard Tank talk so much, almost like he was trying to delay, to keep Chris distracted. That meant someone was going to try some fool, brave stunt to rescue me.

I couldn't let anyone else die because of me. _This stops…here and now._ I rubbed my face against Chris' chest tearing off the loosened piece of tape. I took one final deep breath and sunk my teeth hard into his upright hand. Chris yelled and yanked his hand away. The black box flew up and out. I spit out a bloody chunk of flesh and closed my eyes waiting to be blown to bits. _Carlos…_

I felt my body being jerked up off of Chris' shoulders, flung backwards and smashed to the ground with a crushing force. _KABOOM_…the explosion was deafening. I ached all over. _Wait…if I were dead, would I still feel pain? _

I was buried beneath something heavy. My face was pushed into the grass but another smell filled my nostrils. I'd know that scent anywhere. _Bulgari and Cuban God_.

The weight holding me down shifted off me and gentle hands turned me over. "_Babe?_" I looked up into the deepest brownest eyes ever. "_Carlos?_" It had to be the ghost of Ranger hugging me to him, whispering words of love and relief in my ear. I felt more gentle hands releasing my bound wrists and ankles. I gasped as blood rushed back into my extremities.

I tried to move but the pain was too great. An obscure quote flashed through my mind, _'T__here's no coming to life without pain._' As I lay there in Carlos' arms I felt like that, that I was coming to life again. The rage and despair left me, as love and hope flowed in from the man holding me so gently against his chest.

I looked up at the wall of men in black standing before us and gratitude surged through me. Each one had risked his life to save me. I was going to love finding unique ways to thank each Merry Man. Happiness is itself a kind of gratitude and my face was beaming with a huge smile I had no control over.

Bobby was right there, running his hands over my arms and legs, and pressing on my ribs and abdomen. He deepened his touch massaging my arms and legs and as the pins and needles subsided I felt my muscles start to relax. I reached out my hand and stroked Bobby's cheek. He leaned into my touch, smiling back at me. When he was satisfied with my mobility, he nodded to Tank and then turned his attention to Ranger.

Before I had a chance to hug Ranger back or ask any questions, Tank swept me up and walked me over to the SUV. He gently placed me in the back seat and started to leave. I grabbed his arm and pulled him down to me, placing a big wet one on his cheek. "Damn, girl, you're going blow my badass image and make me cry." He hugged me and then quickly shut the door. Ranger climbed in from the other side. Tank and Bobby got in the front seats, turned the SUV around and headed back down the cleared corridor at a high rate of speed.

I was still so stunned at the unexpected turn of events I was speechless. I just sat there staring at the three of them with my mouth hanging open. My eyes fixed on Ranger and we just stared at each other. I couldn't believe he was sitting next to me.

Unable to stand the distance between us, I scooted over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my face in his shoulder. Tears fell unchecked from my very leaky eyes. Just feeling Ranger's arms around me, hearing his words of love, and listening to his heart beat—that was my world for now.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Ranger's POV

The stillness of the forest was broken by the whining sound of an engine pushed to its maximum. The quad was approaching. I took a deep breath and raised my weapon. Chris came into sight; he slowed as he got closer to the line of men waiting for him.

When he came to a stop, Tank put the spotlight on him. I could see Steph's body draped around his shoulders. She was moving. I let out another deep breath. With the way he had Steph wrapped around him, I didn't have a safe shot.

Chris held up his hand. _Fuck_…he had a deadman's switch. I watched as he raised himself up off the seat and spread his jacket. C-4, lots of it. As I'd instructed, my men started filtering back toward the trees.

My mind started racing to the next plan of action; keep tracking Steph and try to find a safe way to extricate her from this crazed man as soon as possible.

_Oh God,_ Steph started struggling with Chris. If she kept that up, she could trigger an explosion. I could hear her yelling, something about _'paying for killing me_.' Steph thought I was dead. I flinched at the agony in her voice. She didn't care if the explosives went off. _Damn_. Change of plans.

I crept through the trees until I was even with the SUV. I limped across the clearing while the team in the SUV was walking up to join Tank and the others. With the way Steph was tossing her body around, it was just a matter of time before she jostled Chris and the C-4 exploded.

I ran up behind Chris as he yelled and tossed the deadman into the air. I thrust my hands through Steph's bound thighs and upper arm and jerked her backwards over my head. As we fell to the ground I covered Steph with my body. The explosion embedded more shrapnel into my flak vest and I felt several shards slice into my neck and head. I didn't want to think about what else had splattered over us. Then I could only hear the fire crackling. It was finally over.

I turned my Babe over onto her back and searched her eyes. She looked at me like I was a ghost, her voice soft and low whispering my name. I crushed her to me, relief washing over me.

Bobby cut away the flex-cuffs that were eating into Steph's bleeding wrists and ankles. She hissed sharply as blood began circulating normally again. I knew that pain and felt for my Babe. As she leaned into me with my arms gently folded around her, Bobby checked her over and started massaging her limbs trying to ease the pain. I saw my men form a wall between us and what was left of the burning vehicle. _Dios bendiga a mis hermanos! "God bless my brothers!"_

Bobby nodded to me and then to Tank. Tank lifted her from my arms and I felt a surge of anger, but I knew we had to get Steph away from here. The sight and smell of Chris' burned and dismembered body wasn't anything she needed to have etched in her memory.

I shrugged out of my flak vest and let Bobby check me over, treating the shallow wounds on my head and neck. My damaged legs would heal on their own. As Bobby helped me up, I hobbled over to my men. Each one snapped to attention. I saluted them, "Mission successful, you fucking hard chargers." They returned my salute and grinned. I limped over to the SUV and climbed in next to Steph.

I just stared at her. She was disheveled, dirty, bleeding from scratches, her hair was sticking out all over, and she was the most beautiful sight in the world to me. She looked over at me with those incredible blue eyes, now filling with tears.

When she pressed her body up against me and put her arms around me, I felt all the anger leave me. I was filled with a sense of peace and completeness. I wrapped her tight in my arms and laid my head against hers. In that moment, I knew I would suffer a million more 'events' if they always ended with Stephanie safe in my arms.

I didn't think I could ever be this happy. My badass image is a true picture of me, but it isn't the sole image. I am Ranger, I am Carlos, and I hope…someday…I'm Dad to a bunch of mocha latte curly-haired, blue-eyed niños. Stephanie jerked her head up and stared wide-eyed into my eyes. _Fuck, did I say that out loud? _

_End of 'BOOM—Sequel to Hooah'_


End file.
